The Beginning of Tomorrow
by EverythingIsMagic
Summary: AU InuKag- What if things were different? If Kagome's trip to the past had never occurred, and she unsealed InuYasha in her time? Now IY must come to grips with waking up 500 years in the future, and Kag is his only guide on his new adventure in life. Discontinued.
1. Prologue

Don't tweak out over the retelling of the legend of InuYasha and Kikyou at the beginning of this chapter. It happened here exactly as it did in the series, but you'll understand why it's being told this way once you see who is telling it. And yes, the first person Kagome meets in this fic is Sesshoumaru, but this fic is purely InuKag. No sparks between those two at all. -- I also want to make note that this is not a retelling of the InuYasha story in modern times, in fact--- I wouldn't even classify it under action/adventure, and there really isn't a main villain. There is some action and battle, but most of all… the story is really just about life, and new beginnings. ;

All right, all done with the immensely long author notes. Please take time to review after you read, your comments mean a lot to me.

**Note-** All chapters have been revised as of 4/21/06

**The Beginning of Tomorrow**

**Prologue-**

**Kelly O'Connor**

* * *

_Many hundreds of years ago there lived a powerful Miko whose abilities surpassed even some of the most menacing youkai. Her heart was so pure, and her strength so great- that she was given the duty of protecting an infamous jewel called the Shikon no Tama. The Shikon no Tama was known across the lands as something of great evil and at the same time-- great good. In the right hands it could be an object of much benevolence, but in the wrong hands it could be evil enough to destroy the world._

_Now perhaps this Miko's only downfall was that she was too kind at times. She cared deeply for those around her, and when presented with someone who needed help she was always quick to their side. In any other person, this would have been a good thing, but the Miko's job was to always be on guard and one day she let something evil break through her defenses._

_He was a Hanyou, half youkai, half-human, but his youkai half made him incredibly powerful and equally sinister. The Hanyou descended upon the priestess one day, and after unsuccessfully trying to get the Shikon no Tama from her grasp-- decided to fool her into becoming his companion and friend. He planned to steal the jewel from her in the end, and gain more power by becoming full youkai. Using the excuse that, as a Hanyou he was never accepted by humans or youkai, the Miko took the Hanyou as her companion out of pity. Gradually though they began to spend more and more time at each other's sides, and the Miko began to develop feelings for him._

_Spring cast its spell, and it wasn't long before the young Miko found herself falling into the trap of the Hanyou, and in love with the false image he presented. That of a bashful, lonely, and cautious boy who was really only looking for a place to exist in the world. After a while, she came to grips with her feelings, the Miko offered him her heart, and he accepted. But in the end only ended up ripping it to shreds- like the horrible creature he was…_

"Jiichan?" A small girl interrupted, shifting to a more comfortable position on her grandfather's lap.

"What is it Kagome?" The elderly man replied, disappointed his legend had been interrupted. The eight-year old girl known as Kagome bit her lip.

"Umm I have a question about the story you're telling…" She trailed off twirling a piece of long black hair around her finger. The gray haired man gave a questioning "Hmm?" and Kagome continued, "Why are you making the H-Hanyou out to be so mean?" Her grandfather gave her an odd look.

"Because he is evil! Let me---"

"But even though he's half youkai, he's half human too, so shouldn't that make him at least half good?" Kagome questioned using the strange logic of her young mind.

"No no! _Any_ youkai is _all_ evil!" Jiichan waved his arms a bit to emphasize his statement, "Now let me continue the story so I can show you that…" But the little girl had already pushed herself off his lap.

"That doesn't seem fair Jiichan," Kagome shrugged and let out a loud yawn, "I'm tired… you can tell me the rest another time." Kagome hugged a small tattered light pink plush kitten to her chest and began to walk upstairs, leaving her grandfather sighing deeply.

"Children these days," He shook his head and walked into the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of hot green tea. "Perhaps I should think of another story to tell her tomorrow night…" And so Jiichan never did finish telling young Kagome the tale of the Miko and the Hanyou.

**Seven Years Later.**

The early morning sun shone down on the Dusk shrine house, streaming into a certain Higurashi Kagome's window, and eliciting a groan from the sleeping teenager. "Mmm," she snuggled her face into a soft pillow, hiding her eyes from the bright beams of light, "Don't want to wake up," Kagome continued, her voice muffled by the pillow. Her attempt at getting back to sleep was quickly interrupted by a sudden shrill blaring otherwise known as an alarm clock. Ignoring the sunlight that was blinding her vision, Kagome quickly shot her head up and slammed the alarm clock off. _I really need to get a new alarm clock_, the dark haired girl thought to herself, _Or maybe it's because I was out too late last night…_ The previous day had been Kagome's fifteenth birthday, and she had gone directly to her friend Eri's house after school, where she had stayed until fairly late, having a bit of a party and working on homework with her other friends Yuka and Ayumi. Kagome rubbed a bit of sleep from her eyes and began the task of preparing for a long day at school.

Kagome sighed and grabbed her backpack, tipping a bit at the weight of it. Some of the classes she was taking had unusually large textbooks, and she was not yet used to the weight of them in her yellow bag. Walking into the kitchen, she grabbed her Bento box from the counter, wondering what her mother could have made her that day. "Mama, I'm leaving now!" She called, to the living room, where her mother was watching the morning news. Mrs. Higurashi gave a wide smile and said goodbye to her daughter, before returning to the news report. After nearly tripping on the obese family cat Buyo, Kagome was nearly to the door, when she felt her grandfather's hand grasp hers.

"Wait, Kagome!" He requested.

"What is it Jiichan?" Kagome inquired, anxious to get out the door.

"I meant to give you this yesterday, but you were away," Jiichan fumbled around in the pockets of his haori for a moment before pulling out a small pink jewel with a wooden board that read "Shikon no Tama" attached to its cord. Handing it over to his granddaughter, he gave her a stern look.

"Shikon no Tama?" Kagome asked. The old man nodded.

"Yes, surely you remember its legend?" He ventured. Kagome just blinked.

"Not… really," she replied, something very small clicking in the back of her head, but the memory was too indistinct and faded to recall that particular tale her grandfather had told her. She had heard so many from him that they all melded at times. Jiichan frowned.

"Well perhaps I can tell you again later… I'll have to tell a lot of people since I'm selling these at the shrine gift shop!" The elderly man grinned and pulled a couple more out of the sleeves of his top. Kagome gave him a gentle smile and shoved the pink jeweled keychain in her backpack.

"Well ehh… good luck Jiichan!" Kagome waved and made her way out the door, _Hopefully_ _this will be more successful for him than selling supposed dried mermaid scales at the gift shop._ She thought to herself.

Making her way across the yard of the shrine, Kagome paused when she noticed a tall man standing in front of the ancient tree enshrined outside her home. He stood with her back to him, and Kagome estimated him to be fairly old, considering that his hair, although long and thick was completely silver-white.

Kagome shrugged a bit. It was not unusual for visitors to the shrine to stop and stare at the tree- _Goshinboku_, as it was called. Its utter enormity and the many legends surrounding it made it a favorite spot for shrine goers. Kagome had always thought it a strange tree. At the base of it, roots snaked up, wrapping themselves around the front in an odd formation, almost as if they were hiding something within their twisted arrangement. Kagome remembered that as young child, she used to climb up those roots, and into some of the tree's lower branches. Usually her grandfather had scolded her for playing on such a precious relic, but sometimes when he was away, she'd spend hours up in the branches, reading or doing homework. Kagome liked the tree. It was comforting, but beyond that, she never thought much on it.

Turning her attention back to the man whom was standing at the base of it, she couldn't help notice even from the back that despite his silver hair, he actually looked quite young. Curious, as to the shrine's strange visitor, Kagome cleared her throat. "Umm sir?" She inquired loudly enough so he could hear her. The man shifted a bit, causing the long black trench coat he wore to sway, but he did not turn around to face her.

"You…" He paused, "are of the Higurashi line, correct?" The mysterious man inquired. Kagome was surprised at both his strange question, and his tone of voice. It also did not _sound_ like that of a much older male, even though it was still quite sophisticated.

"Yes… I am," Kagome ventured, "I'm Higurashi Kagome." She finished. The man did not reply for a moment.

"This tree, do you know anything about it?" The silver haired man asked. Kagome shook her head, slightly annoyed that she still could not see this man's face.

"Jiichan tells a lot of strange stories about it, but I don't really know much, no." The schoolgirl replied. The man was silent for a short time, until Kagome cleared her throat, "Umm Sir," she shifted her backpack a bit, "Are you here to visit the shrine? Because Jiichan is inside and I can go get him…"

"I am not here to do any such thing." He replied simply. Kagome gulped, in truth, the strange man was beginning to creep her out.

"Then… what are you doing here?" She asked. He ignored her demand and reached his hand out lightly to stroke the roots snaking up Goshinboku.

"I am simply here to check on my foolish half brother," the visitor answered cryptically, and pulled his fingers away from the tree, then quickly walked away and began silently making his way down the steps of the shrine, to the streets of Tokyo below

"Wait sir!" Kagome cut herself off. She only caught a brief glimpse of the side of his face as he did so, he wore a pair of black sunglasses, and although she couldn't tell very well from the quick glance, definitely did not appear to be as old as his hair color would denote. "His half brother…?" Kagome rubbed the area in between her eyes, "How strange." She adjusted her backpack to a more comfortable position, and began to make her way down the stairs herself, noting that the strange man had somehow already reached the bottom and was out of sight. "I swear this shrine gets some of the weirdest visitors."

* * *

Next chapter- Awakening powers, a broken seal, and a released Hanyou from 500 years past… what is Kagome to make of all this? 


	2. The Goshinboku's Secret

**Author's Notes-**

The presence Kagome feels in this chapter is indeed, Youki. However, because it is never described in the series beyond "I sense Youki!" I had to make some deductions and try to figure out what Youki would "feel like."

**Note-** All chapters revised 4/21/06

**Chapter One**

_Goshinboku's_ _Secret_

Kelly O'Connor

* * *

Kagome swung her arms, glancing around the streets of Tokyo and smiling when she spotted the familiar Pet Store she was heading towards. Her cat Buyo was nearly out of food, and Mama had given her some money the night before to pick up some for him at the nearest pet store after school. As she crossed the street to reach the shop, her mind wandered once again to the mysterious visitor she had encountered at the shrine that morning.

Off and on the entire day Kagome had found her thoughts on the silver haired man. _He sure left quickly, really quickly,_ Kagome swung open the door to the store.

Greeting an employee, she made her way over the area where the cat food was kept and paused once she had picked a bag up.

_All day I've wondered, Jiichan has a lot of strange people come to the shrine, but there was definitely something really odd about this one. He... **felt **different._ Kagome dismissed the thought, and headed to the cash register_, That's silly,_ she paused_, But it was almost as if there was some kind of presence there._

Kagome pressed her hands to her forehead, "Oi I didn't get enough sleep. Of course there was a presence, he was standing right there."

The cashier gave her a confused look, and she grinned sheepishly, realizing she had said that last part out loud. Quickly handing him the money and then saying her thank yous, Kagome left the store, slightly embarrassed.

As she walked, the schoolgirl diverted her thoughts from the visitor by instead thinking on what she _did_ have to do that night, namely an essay and some serious geometry homework. However, as she finished heading up the steps to her shrine home, she couldn't resist the urge to pause at the Goshinboku and wonder again about the man.

Setting down her backpack, she raised her eyes to the many branches shading the ground below and then to the bizarre formation of roots that wound around it. Approaching the tree, Kagome placed her hands on the bark in roughly the same place the visitor had that morning. Moments after, her eyes widened and she gasped.

"What!" She exclaimed and turned around. "Who is..." Kagome paused, and found herself staring at an empty yard, "...there."

Shuddering, she turned around to face the tree again, her brow creased in confusion. _I felt someone, they were here. That strange feeling, it's still here._ Kagome realized.

"Maybe I'm just tired," she said aloud, "Jiichan would probably think it was some kind of spirit stalking me," Kagome laughed, but in spite of that laughter, the uncomfortable feeling was not eased.

Jiichan is silly, but he's not insane. It's not like every single thing he has ever said has been untrue...maybe." She shook her head in disbelief. _The man had silver hair, but looked young. The whole time he was here I felt strange, not like any feeling I've felt before. Like I was being watched from all directions... like I feel now. _She walked over to the steps that led down from her shrine home to the streets below, and her eyes grew wide.

_I'm so used to these stairs that I sometimes fail to realize that they're quite long, and that man... was down and out of sight within seconds. _Kagome's mind wandered to a part of the brief conversation between them

_"Then… what are you doing here?" She asked. He ignored her demand and reached his hand out lightly to stroke the roots snaking up Goshinboku._

_"I am simply here to check on my foolish half brother."_

_His... brother?_ Kagome put her fingers back on the tree, and shivered, the feeling was especially strong when she did that. _As if he's even closer. Why would he come to the shrine to check on his brother? Jiichan says there are a lot of legends surrounding the tree, but I never paused to think that much of anyone might have an actual connection to it. Did something happen to his brother here? _

Part of her wanted to ask her grandpa, but a greater part thought that may not be the best idea. So instead she contemplated what else she could do. After a few moments, she grinned.

"The shrine does have some records."

Kagome knew that Jiichan and her previous relatives that had run the Higurashi shrine had kept written records of some of the going ons at the shrine. Off and on, and probably most of the events that had occurred at the shrine weren't recorded, but perhaps she might be able to find something there. She'd never bothered to read the records, assuming that all of them would be as eccentric as Jiichan's, and never really having much interest in them anyway.

_I guess it's worth a try though._ Kagome shrugged_. I've heard that strange physical attributes are often connected to spirits,_ she contemplated_, considering the man's silver hair, and if something regarding his brother is keeping him here...then maybe..._ The schoolgirl cut her thoughts off, "Then maybe I should just go check the shrine records now, this is just too weird..."

With that the teenage girl headed to the part of the shrine house she knew the records were kept in, completely forgetting the stack of homework she needed to complete.

The shrine was empty that day. Jiichan was visiting an old friend of his, and Mama and Souta were at one of his soccer practices. Kagome found this to be a relief. She really didn't want to explain why now; of all times she had decided to explore the written records of the Higurashi shrine.

Sliding open the shouji that led to the closet the records were kept in, she sneezed. The room was dusty, and she swore the only person who had been in it the past twenty years was her grandfather. But she knew that he didn't even keep his shrine records in that particular closet. Those were on display for shrine visitors to view if they so wished.

Shrugging off the idea of looking through Jiichan's records, she immediately skipped to the previous maintainer of the shrine, her great grandfather, Higurashi Kouhi.

The records started in the year 1922 and concluded in the late 1960's, presumably around the time her great grandfather had passed away and the shrine had been passed down to Jiichan. Kagome began to skim through the writings rather quickly. Her mouth quirked in a smile when she came to a part regarding her grandfather's birth, but most of them just seemed to be goings on regarding shrine festivals, how many visitors they'd had that year, and other events insignificant to her search.

Continuing to thumb through the records, Kagome stopped when she came to one topped with "A strange occurrence."

As of yet, the shrine records had been very ordinary. Kouhi seemed to lack a lot of the eccentricities that Jiichan had, and as a result the records were straight forward and lacking the same kind of oddness that would likely be sprinkled throughout Jiichan's writings in abundance.

The record was dated July 1929, and the dark haired girl began to skim it-- not expecting to find anything, but scraping for information in any way possible. Her eyes widened as they looked over it, three phrases stuck out before she had even really begun to read.

_At the Goshinboku today, silver haired young man, mentioned a brother..._

Kagome gasped, and shook her head in disbelief, "But... this is 1929!" She argued out loud, rubbed her hands over her eyes, and started from the beginning again.

_I happened upon a strange occurrence this morning when I was cleaning up the shrine for visitors that day. I noticed a tall, silver haired young man standing in front of the Goshinboku. Upon asking him what he was doing; he mentioned something about a brother and promptly left._

_Back when I was younger, my father spoke to me about mononoke, spirits, and youkai. I've always been a bit more skeptical of believing such things than he was. Although there's no doubt they exist. This man really made me wonder if he was something along those lines._

_The silver haired man gave me a strange feeling, and I honestly can't put my finger on what it was. I know I've never felt anything like it before, although I'm sure my father would have a name for it right away. I began to look through the records of the shrine for any mention of the brother he spoke of, and I didn't find any. I did however find two mentions of similar occurrences surrounding a white haired stranger in the past, as well as a legend that could be connected to this man._

_One took place thirty-five years ago and one took place one hundred and two years ago, shortly after the opening of the Higurashi shrine._

_In one I found mention of him speaking of the brother while looking to the Goshinboku itself. That was one hundred and two years ago, and that person specifically identified the man as a youkai, and the feeling from his presence as youki._

_The other, from my father, did not mention much more than I have written here, and did not bring up the brother issue at all, just the fact that he was peculiar._

Kagome slapped the record shut and immediately went to look for the first record of the Higurashi shrine, begun some one hundred and seventy years ago. The name was Higurashi Shodai, and Kagome knew she had heard Jiichan ramble of the shrine's founder several times.

This particular record, Kagome found, was full of more eccentricities than Kouhi's rather normal one. He also seemed to write down a lot of the legends related to certain happenings at the shrine. She noticed that they seemed to have been re-written by another ancestor, in order to preserve them when the paper from the original had aged.

If a shrine festival occurred, she observed that he would write down a version of a legend the festival may be connected with. Doing a bit of math in her head, Kagome flipped to the part of the book that detailed the events of 1827.

After skimming through the year's festivals she came to the entry she was looking for.

The description of the event was similar to Kouhi's, albeit a bit more vivid and eccentric seeming. However, the speculation after it was completely different. Kagome wiped a bit of dust off the pages and read.

The legend connected with the brother by Shodai told the tale of an innocent and kindly Miko whose love for a scheming Hanyou, who was after a sacred jewel she protected, doomed her in the end.

Kagome thought parts of the legend somewhat similar but shrugged it off that Jiichan had told her it as a child. The two names in the tale, the pure hearted Miko- Kikyou, and the wicked hearted Hanyou, InuYasha, were names Kagome knew she had never heard though. She continued forward, reading to the end of the tale.

_On the promised day, Kikyou approached InuYasha with a smile on her face. She had told an elder of the village their plans. InuYasha had agreed to Kikyou to use the Shikon no Tama to wish himself human, ridding the world of the jewel, and making it so InuYasha and Kikyou could live a peaceful and ordinary life together. Or so, that's what the Miko thought. In reality though, InuYasha planned to kill her and take the jewel for himself._

_With a wicked smile, he raked his claws across her shoulder, inflicting a fatal injury upon her. Running off to the village, InuYasha ransacked and set fire to the innocent town, injuring many._

_However, upon running into the nearest forest, he found his own death was inevitable. An arrow through the heart pinned him to a great tree, ending his life, and sealing him there for all eternity. The archer was none other than Kikyou, who used the last of her holy powers to end his life._

_Kikyou perished soon after. The kindly Miko had the Shikon no Tama burned with her body, so it could never fall into evil hands again._

_InuYasha, as the years passed on, continued there frozen in time, yet not alive, until the roots began snaking around his sinister form-- hiding him from view to those who wished to gaze upon the tree he was pinned to- Goshinboku._

_This is one of the most prevalent legends regarding the ancient tree, and stories of the Shikon no Tama have been passed down through my family for years. Youkai live very long lives._

_Could the visitor perhaps have been this InuYasha's half-brother, a full youkai, instead of half like the imprisoned Hanyou? I do not even wish to think how evil such a being could possibly be. Due to this event, I took the time to surround the shrine with many more holy wards, in hopes to keep this possible monster away._

Kagome's mouth quirked up in a small grin at the last statement. It sounded all too much like Jiichan. However, she then proceeded to bit her lip as she thought over the rest of the material.

"That's just too strange… I mean a guy pinned to our tree?" Her mind wandered as she envisioned the roots snaking about the great tree. "I know the roots are weird, but…"

Quickly she put the book away, and stood up, brushing off the dust on her school uniform. She stretched her arms and walked out of the closet, surprised once she saw how dark it had gotten. The sun was setting behind the treetops, and although it was still fairly light, Kagome definitely didn't think she had been reading the records that long.

Walking outside, she glanced at the Goshinboku and scratched her head, "I don't know what to think of all this…"

The schoolgirl sighed to herself. Turning back towards the ancient tree, she once again began fingering the roots near the bottom. The feeling was still there. Kagome shuddered lightly, but continued stroking the bark. _I wouldn't say it feels evil… just kind of creepy._

A loud mrow whipped Kagome out of her reverie, and she looked down to see her obese cat Buyo staring at her with his jellybean shaped eyes.

"Buyo what's up?" Kagome asked as she reached down to scratch behind the feline's ears.

The chubby cat gave off a loud purr before pulling away and sashaying towards the house. Kagome caught on; realizing that Buyo was probably hungry.

Being a bit preoccupied with all the things on her mind, Kagome didn't notice the sounds of movement as she entered the house. It was only when she was in the kitchen that she realized that something was very out of place, and began to wonder if Buyo was hungry, or trying to warn her.

Kagome shuddered. The thought that the visitor from that morning had returned with a more sinister agenda flitted across her mind, but none of the feeling the records had dubbed "youki" was present at all.

She froze with her hand on the cabinet door to where the food for Buyo was kept. She had left her school bag and the food she had purchased in the shrine on accident, but there was enough food left for the feline in the cabinet to last a bit.

However, feeding Buyo was not Kagome's concern at the moment. Sounds continued from the living room, unmistakable- the moving of furniture, the sound of footsteps. It was a larger man by her guess, and she knew no one who fit that description.

Frozen in fear, the black haired girl slowly dropped her hands to her side. She knew that he would notice her presence if she moved anywhere else, or bolted to the phone to call the police.

She couldn't move. Apparently he wasn't fazed by her entrance, thinking it to be only the cat again, or still not realizing someone had entered the home.

Kagome clenched her fists at her side and breathed deeply as sweat began to trickle down her brow. However, that deep breath, which Kagome had unknowingly taken, was what finally caught the intruder's attention. The teenager closed her eyes in terror as she heard the footsteps advancing towards the kitchen, and she did the only thing she could think of at the moment--- she ran.

Hearing the slight gasp, the man tensed and drew out a knife he had tucked in his belt. Seeing the young girl flee, he knew he had to stop her before she got to the police or a phone. Kagome thought she was far enough ahead of him, but found herself stumbling right in front of the same tree that had been occupying her thoughts as of late. He caught up easily, and grabbed her sleeve, the knife glinting in the light as he held it above her.

"Girl," the man sneered, poison in his voice, his beady eyes focusing on Kagome, "If you open your mouth or tell a single soul I'll…"

"Let me go!" Kagome yelled. Her mind couldn't process what else to do, but she found herself trying to push him away.

Her eyes closed as her hands went straight against his chest, but when she opened them, she found the knife lying on the ground beside her and the burglar giving her a truly horrified look.

Stunned, Kagome looked to her hands. They tingled and seemed to be emanating a light pink glow that quickly died off. She then surveyed the man in front of her. His clothes appeared to be burned off in his chest area, and he was breathing heavily, as if he had just been shot with something electrically powerful.

_From my hands…_ Shaking her head, Kagome grabbed the knife next to her, and gave him a small triumphant grin. She had no idea what she had just done, but she was too preoccupied to worry about that at the moment. Whatever it was, it had thwarted her attacker.

"Leave now, or I'll call the police," Kagome threatened, steel in her voice. Of course she would be calling the police anyway, but the threat seemed to be enough to startle him more so. He scooted back a bit. "And whatever I just did to you with my hands… I'll do it again."

She felt her hands throb with an unfamiliar power as she said this, and stared at them momentarily, then back to the terrified burglar. After a few moments, the man scrambled up, and gave her a frightened glare.

"What the fuck are you?" He asked rhetorically and began running down the shrine steps as quick as his now weakened feet would carry him.

Kagome on the other hand, just continued to stare at her hands, and in exhaustion slid down to a sitting position in front of the Goshinboku. Whatever she had done, it had tired her out.

"I-I need to go in and call the police now," the startled teenager said to herself as she braced her hands on the roots of the tree.

About to stand up to head inside, Kagome paused when she noticed something strange about the roots under her fingers. They were crumbling. She shook her head in disbelief and experimentally touched another root directly behind her. It happened again. The formation of roots that snaked around the ancient tree crumbled at her touch. Not only that but that same pink light she had seen from her hands moments before accompanied her actions. _Why is it doing this? _She asked as curiosity got the best of her and she began dissolving more of the roots away with her hands. _Should I be doing this? _Kagome questioned. _You need to go in and call the police now, _she told herself, but cut her thoughts off as one very large and very tall root crumbled under her touch. Raising her eyes up, she saw something extraordinary, and perhaps… someone?

Never one to take legends very seriously, even after reading the manuscript from her ancestor, Kagome was very unsure that a tale of a Hanyou pinned to the tree in her front yard could possibly be true. _But then how do I explain what I'm seeing…_ Kagome glanced up to what she could clearly identify as a bare foot, with what looked like red hakama-pants tied at the ankle.

"There's no way," She stared in shock for a few moments and then quickly began to climb the remaining roots, much like she had as a young child.

She stopped once she had reached an area of the tree that was on the level of her discovery and that had a root that protruded enough to where she could sturdily stand. Looking down, she could tell that she was at least two meters up.

Without much more thought, Kagome began to dissolve the roots surrounding the imprisoned Hanyou, first revealing his legs, then his torso, his arms, and his hands which seemed to be tipped with some unusually sharp nails.

There was one root Kagome couldn't dissolve, and that root had an arrow piercing straight through it.

_Into his heart… just like the legend._

Shaking her head, the teenage girl continued her exploration, removing a few roots around his neck, and then reaching for the ones that covered his head.

Kagome's breath caught as she pulled the last root away. In all her ideas she had never expected him to look like this. The last root had revealed his face, and the inquisitive girl found it to be nothing like the monster she had envisioned upon reading the tale of InuYasha and Kikyou.

He looked peaceful in his everlasting sleep and _young_. Kagome couldn't imagine that the Hanyou she'd heard of could appear this youthful and innocent, like just a boy_. Then again if he was trying to fool Kikyou, _she shook her head_, if this is even him. I mean he's perfectly preserved for five hundred years clothes and all, that couldn't happen._

Grimacing, she shook her head, "Who am I kidding, it has to be him, it's not like there are lots of guys pinned to trees."

She quickly noted that his long thick hair was similar in color to the mysterious visitor from that morning, confirming her suspicions. Kagome squeaked out a breath when her eyes made their way to the top of his head. Brushing a small piece of bark away, she noticed something significant she hadn't noticed before.

"Are those his… ears?" She questioned as she took in the fuzzy white triangles that had previously blended in with his equally pale hair. "They're… cute."

Giving into a sudden urge, she reached up and took the tips in between her fingers smiling lightly at the feel of the soft fur under her fingertips. After a moment, she pulled away, a bit embarrassed, although it wasn't as if anyone was there to see that particular display.

Kagome bit her lip and continued staring at the sealed boy. "What do I do?" She asked as she glanced at the arrow that protruded from where his heart was. "It isn't as if I can just leave him on display… could I cover him back up? I-I guess some things were made to remain hidden."

Her balance wavered a bit and she caught it quickly, "Phew, wouldn't want to fall."

Glancing down to the ground below, she realized once again that she was quite high up among the roots. Giving a small eeep, she turned back to face the boy, but nearly lost her balance once again when she heard a light crackle among the roots.

Looking towards the tree, Kagome gasped as her gaze met with a pair of fierce amber eyes. "I--InuYasha?"

-----------------


	3. The Unsealed Hanyou

**Just a couple notes:** Writing InuYasha as he is at the beginning of the series is so hard. You never realize how much he's developed as a character until you try doing so. It was made a bit easier by the fact that the Shikon no Tama is not yet known and present. Kagome does have it of course, but no one knows that yet. Of course that's why InuYasha was so malicious towards her at the beginning of the original series, so now that and the issue with him knowing she's Kikyou's reincarnation are eliminated- now he's just incredibly rude.

And to clear something up regarding one of InuYasha's thoughts-- Kagome is _still_ the reincarnation of Kikyou. They just have no way to tell that _yet._

**Note-** All chapters revised 4-21-06

Anyway: Read, enjoy, and please review.

**The Beginning of Tomorrow**

_Chapter 3-_

_**The Unsealed Hanyou**_

_By Kelly O'Connor_

"I--InuYasha?" Kagome questioned as she noticed way he was staring at her. Judging by the expression in his strange amber colored eyes, he did not appear to be thinking friendly thoughts.

"Hello, Kikyou," the boy spat, malice in his tone and one of his fists clenched tightly.

Kagome would have stepped back, had she not been on a ledge. Instead she just gulped. _Why is he calling me Kikyou?_

"No, I'm Kagome… my name is Kagome," she clarified shakily.

The Hanyou didn't appear as peaceful now that he was awake, although he still wasn't all _that_ intimidating in appearance. It was his voice that shocked Kagome, the name Kikyou had been spoken with such hatred.

_I don't know why… he's the one who killed her right?_

"Oi, Kikyou, what's up with…" InuYasha cut off his own words when his eyes registered his surroundings. A shrine house, and to the left a whole bizarre and unfamiliar landscape of what he assumed to be tall human made structures. "…Wait, where am I?"

Kagome found herself sighing lightly in spite of herself. _Did he expect to wake up to find Kikyou?_

"Sorry, I'm not Kikyou and this isn't her time," the young girl stated bravely.

"But you--" He cut himself off and surveyed her appearance. _Wait, she isn't Kikyou… _The Hanyou continued to observe the girl, narrowing his eyes as he noted the differences between the two. Kagome flinched as she felt his gaze upon her, and she grew aggravated.

"What! I'm not her! Kikyou is dead, you killed her, and it's probably been five hundred years since you did!" Kagome snapped in irritation.

A look of shock flickered across his face, "Keh, I didn't fucking touch her!" He retorted, the surprise in his tone continuing to baffle the young girl.

"But the legend said you deceived her and---"

"What the hell do you mean?" InuYasha asked rather defensively. "She betrayed me," he finished, his voice low and embittered. Kagome took a moment to blink. Despite his attempts to hide it, the hurt in his voice was evident when he spoke those three words.

_She betrayed **him**… but how? The legend can't be wrong, can it?_

"What the… but the," Kagome's breath hitched as she found herself tripping on the root that held her, and she grabbed the first thing that she could to be her stronghold. Her hands gripped the arrow that was embedded within the Hanyou's chest.

Unfortunately, instead of holding her up, the arrow vanished beneath her touch. With a scream, she found herself falling towards the ground.

But she didn't hit the ground. Instead Kagome felt herself stop and looked up to see a very annoyed looking InuYasha holding her hand with one of his own.

_He's freed? _Her thoughts raced as she saw him standing on the ledge she had occupied previously, one arm braced against the side of the tree. Rather roughly, he pulled her up on the ledge next to him. "...Thank you," Kagome finally managed. InuYasha fixed her a very irritated look and crossed his arms.

"Oi, clumsy," he paused, "If I hadn't you would have pulled me down with you."

Kagome frowned, "Well if I hadn't fallen you'd still be stuck to this tree!" She countered.

"I would have gotten off somehow!" InuYasha retorted.

"Oh really?" She asked rhetorically, "Because you've been stuck there five hundred years and never figured a thing out."

InuYasha was about to argue, but instead replied with a resigning "Keh." Kagome rolled her eyes and slumped down to a sitting position on the ledge.

Her head was racing with thought. She was sitting next to a Hanyou from Sengoku Jidai. What was she supposed to do with him? It's not as if he could just live in the house.

_Not that I'd want him to. He's so… rude._

She switched her gaze over to him quickly and sighed. He was looking across the cityscape. And though his expression seemed to be forever stuck on irritated, Kagome could discern a hint of sadness underneath it.

_But I can't just leave him on his own…_ Kagome interrupted herself, _why would I want to help him? He's rude, annoying, and there is a legend that says he killed a woman._ She paused. _But judging by his reaction, I'm not sure that's true. Rude he may be, but the way he looked when I said he killed Kikyou, he was surprised and hurt._ After a few moments, she came to a realization. _Maybe I should help him anyway. It's kind of my fault this happened. _

She looked back over to him and smiled tentatively. "Neh, InuYasha?" She inquired.

The Hanyou started up a bit, at the speaking of his name in such a friendly tone. "What?"

"What do you plan on doing now?" Kagome ventured. InuYasha shifted; no doubt still trying to comprehend the fact that he had supposedly slept for five hundred years.

"Bah, what's it to you?" He retorted. Kagome rubbed her forehead and sighed.

"Well I suppose you could look for that supposed brother of yours…" InuYasha stiffened.

"He's still around?" The Hanyou asked.

"If he really is your brother, then yes." Kagome answered matter-of-factly.

"Half brother," He clarified solemnly, "And we aren't on good terms." Kagome blinked.

"Well I imagine you weren't on the best of terms with a lot of people…" She muttered.

InuYasha tensed up then whipped around to face her angrily.

"It isn't that, okay!" He frowned, "It's not _my_ fault I'm a Hanyou …." He stopped himself short, "Keh, I don't have to talk about this with _you_."

Kagome's eyes widened in realization as she recalledthe words of the legend she'd read regarding InuYasha and Kikyou.

_"Using the excuse that, as a Hanyou he was never accepted by humans or youkai, the Miko took the Hanyou as her companion out of pity."_

_InuYasha was telling Kikyou the truth when he made that excuse wasn't he? His brother is full youkai… that's why InuYasha's feelings towards him are like this._

Kagome looked towards InuYasha, "I think I understand. I'm sorry for saying what I did."

InuYasha glared at her, his expression a mixture of aggravation and perplexity.

"You understand _what_?" He asked.

"I think I understand what you meant," she finished and surveyed her feet as if they were terribly interesting. His eyes widened in shock, before a heavy frown settled on his face.

"You don't know anything," the Hanyou replied, his voice low with dangerous irritation.

Kagome caught the "don't mess with me" tone, but boldly continued.

"I don't know much about you, you're right," she paused, "But it seems that you have nowhere to go, and so I guess you're going to have to stay here for a while." Kagome stood up and faced InuYasha, "So, let's try to get along. Why not?"

He crossed his arms in annoyance, "Hmph, why should I?"

"Because it will be much better if we get along since you're stuck here!"

InuYasha momentarily surveyed the girl before him. She looked similar to Kikyou and was obviously a Miko since she unsealed him from the tree, yet she acted so different. "Hmph," InuYasha replied simply.

"I'll take that as an 'I'll try Kagome,' all right?" she grinned. InuYasha did a double take and shrugged.

"Whatever," he resigned. They sat in silence for a moment before Kagome cleared her throat.

"I'll have to tell my mother when she gets home, although I have no idea how…"

"Your… mother?" InuYasha blinked.

"Don't worry, I think you'll like her," she reassured. He didn't respond.

Looking to the ground below, Kagome sighed, "I honestly don't know how I'm going to explain you to them. Jiichan will go nuts," stopping mid-statement, she turned to him, "Hey we've been on this ledge a long time, I think I'm going to climb down."

InuYasha nodded. He needed to move around a bit himself. After being unsealed, his muscles felt tight and cramped. Kagome began to slowly climb down the roots of the tree, finding it more difficult than usual since a lot of the roots she had climbed before were ones that _had_ been surrounding InuYasha.

In a short minute though, she'd made her way down to the tree, only to see InuYasha land softly on the ground in front of her after leaping nimbly from the ledge they had been standing on.

Kagome blinked for a moment before figuring that such strength was part of his youkai half. "So," Kagome glanced to InuYasha, who was stretching his arms above his head. "Are you hungry?" She inquired, more to interrupt an awkward silence than anything. The silver-haired boy placed his hand on his stomach for a moment before glaring at Kagome.

"I'll get my own food," he replied smartly. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Not very likely, you need money to do that." The schoolgirl rubbed her forehead.

InuYasha looked confused, and Kagome felt sorry for him. There was simply nothing he _could_ do on his own at the moment in this era he'd awoken in. Realizing that he was likely an independent person, Kagome knew this reliance on others was going to be something that would bother him.

"Come on in InuYasha," she gestured towards her house, "I'll make you something to eat." InuYasha crossed his arms, and stood still.

"How do I know you aren't going to do something to it?" He retorted lamely. Kagome held out her hand and beckoned him to follow her into the house.

"I wouldn't do that. Come on InuYasha, you can trust me," the black haired girl pleaded.

The boy looked away. "I don't trust anyone!" He snapped weakly, but in spite of that, he found himself following the girl called Kagome into her home.

-------------------------------------------------------

Kagome made a startled sound when the stove buzzer went off. In between thinking about how to break the news to her family that a Hanyou was going to be moving in and watching as said Hanyou poked around the living room in curiosity, she had forgotten all about the Ramen that was boiling on the stove.

Standing up and sliding into the kitchen, she quickly began stirring the pot and pulled it off the stove, managing to save the instant noodles from overcooking just in time.

With a sigh of relief, she poured the noodles into two bowls, grabbed some chopsticks, and walked back into the living room.

InuYasha sat on a zabuton appearing exasperated, but when Kagome sat down the food in front of him, his expression brightened slightly.

"You really were hungry weren't you?" She asked as he first inspected the food for a few moments, then lifted up the bowl to his mouth and began slurping the Ramen down rather sloppily. InuYasha paused for a moment to shoot a glare at her.

"Yah so what if I was?" He snapped and went back to his rather haphazard eating.

Kagome smiled in spite of herself, for some reason she was glad to see him seeming happier. _I can't tell Jiichan he's the Hanyou of that legend. He'll think InuYasha is a murderer and that will ruin any chance he has here._ She glanced back over to the boy next to her_, I believe him… legends aren't always right, and considering his behavior, there's no way InuYasha did that to Kikyou._

"Neh, InuYasha, do you know how to use chopsticks?" She gestured to the pieces of wood that sat next to where InuYasha's bowl had been. The Hanyou shrugged.

"Keh, I'm hungry… why would I waste my time with them?" He answered.

Kagome shook her head when InuYasha put down the empty bowl of Ramen.

"Are you going to eat that?" He pointed to Kagome's untouched meal.

She replied in the negative, and InuYasha set out to devour her bowl as well.

"Umm InuYasha," Kagome figured she could get her words in while he ate. "My family is going to be home soon." She paused. This was by many times, the strangest situation she had ever had to explain to anyone, let alone been in. "Like I said, I'm not sure how to present you to them, but just try to act friendly enough with them that they'll want you to stay."

Kagome winced. She hoped InuYasha could at least pull of _somewhat _amiable. He didn't respond and she sighed in vexation, "Please InuYasha, you have nowhere else to go."

InuYasha shrugged, "Oi- fine, whatever," the white haired boy complied as he put down a now empty bowl.

"Good then, I need to go out to the shrine and get my book bag. I'll be back in a moment."

Making her way out the front door, she blinked when she noticed InuYasha behind her. Instead of following her to the shrine though, he leapt into the branches of Goshinboku and as far as Kagome could tell, just… sat there.

"Hmm, I guess he has a lot to think about," the schoolgirl said to herself as she entered the shrine house.

InuYasha, meanwhile, _did_ have a lot to think about. He situated himself on a branch, high in the Goshinboku. _Why am I here? _He asked himself_, Kikyou's arrow hit the mark. I remember that much._ He rubbed the area over his heart, where nary even a tear in his fire rat coat from the arrow remained. _Still don't know why she hot me anyway. I guess I'll never know. At least that Kagome girl seems to believe me._ His mind wandered to the girl who had decided to "take him in" after unsealing him_. She's treating me like a normal person …_ InuYasha realized, and that's what boggled him.

That girl, with her strange clothes, strange house, and even stranger attitude treated him like he was not worse or better than her. This idea was slightly unsettling to InuYasha, as he was not at all familiar with being treated as such.

His eyes wandered over the moonlit landscape outside the shrine area. The strange enormous structures, the unfamiliar smells, the fact that there was no way at all to tell, except the Goshinboku itself that he was in the same place he had lived in so long ago greatly unnerved him.

_This time seems so different, not only in appearance, but in the fact that I haven't sensed a youkai since I woke up. I wonder what happened? Bah, it doesn't matter._

Moments later, he heard a yell of "Hey InuYasha, get down here now!" and glanced down to the ground to see Kagome waving up at him with a large bag slung over her shoulders. _Yes, this is going to take a lot of getting used to…_ InuYasha shook his head and glared at Kagome. "Keh, why should I?"

The girl stomped her foot in aggravation. "Because, my family is going to be home soon, and I need to tell you some things before they arrive." InuYasha hmph-ed and leapt down from the branches, landing in front of her with a scowl on his face.

"What do you have to tell me?" The Hanyou queried. Kagome gestured him to follow her inside, and he did so.

"First of all," she began as she walked up the stairs to her room, InuYasha behind. "We need to get you something to cover your ears."

She opened the door to her room and sat on her bed once she had entered. InuYasha followed suit and sat on the bed next to her, momentarily shocked by how it bounced when he moved on it. Kagome noticed his fascination and smiled lightly.

"Why do we need to cover them?" InuYasha asked, perplexed. "If you're trying to hide it, it's not like they won't find out anyway." Kagome shook her head vigorously in the negative.

"No, no it's not that!" She explained, "I want to explain to my family the situation first. I'll explain first, and then you can take it off." She reached over to her bureau drawer and slid it open, pulling out a bandanna and toying with it with her fingers.

"I'm not wanting to hide it from my family InuYasha. I just want to prepare them. I don't think many youkai exist in this time, and most people just consider them to be ancient myth anyway. They don't even believe they ever did exist." She closed her eyes, "So, I just want to tell them first."

InuYasha blinked in surprise. He'd suspected there weren't many youkai in her time, however, the idea that many people didn't think youkai were real when in the time he was sealed they were a part of everyday life completely threw him for a loop.

"Keh- fine," he agreed. Kagome looked down to the bandanna.

"Can you umm… put this on?" She asked, gesturing towards the cloth. He crossed his arms and glared at the bandanna in her hands, as if it were something to truly be glowered at.

"I've never worn anything on my head. How would I know how to put that on?" InuYasha shrugged.

"Oh, well I figured you may," she held the bandanna up in her hands, "I guess I'll put it on then."

"Whatever," he resigned. Kagome nodded and scooted behind InuYasha, pausing for a moment before placing the bandanna over his ears. Holding it in a tied position at the back of his head, she looked to the Hanyou.

"Is that comfortable? Smashing your ears at all? I can move it…"

"It feels funny period," InuYasha snapped.

She shifted it a little bit to the left and tied it off at the back of his head, momentarily stopping to run her fingers through a bit of his long silver-white hair.

"What are you doing?" InuYasha asked when he noticed her actions. Kagome pulled her hand away from his hair like she'd touched a hot stove.

"Uhh sorry, I just umm… like your hair," she managed to explain, cheeks pinking at being caught in the act.

InuYasha's eyes widened momentarily before he let out a soft "Keh," and hid a small blush of his own.

The slightly awkward moment of silence between the two was interrupted by the front door opening downstairs.

Kagome gasped, "Mama, Souta, and Jiichan are home." She knew they were going to be picking up Jiichan after soccer practice and so all three of them would be home at the same time.

"Your family is home?" He inquired. Kagome shook her head in the positive.

"Yes, InuYasha, they are." She took a deep breath. "I'm going to go down there, and I want you to follow me," she instructed, "Just act… normal."

"Normal?" InuYasha cocked his head in slight confusion.

"As in don't talk beyond greeting them for the time being. Sit down when I sit down, I'll explain everything," Kagome elaborated.

"Hmph, fine," the Hanyou agreed reluctantly. The schoolgirl smiled and left her bedroom, the white-haired boy following. Once they'd reached near the bottom of the stairs, Kagome motioned InuYasha to stay where he was and walked down the rest of the way to peer into the kitchen.

"Mama," Kagome called into the kitchen. Mrs. Higurashi looked up and gave her daughter a warm smile.

"Hello Kagome. How was your day?" The dark haired woman asked.

"Completely different from any day I've ever had before," Kagome responded. _And that's an understatement. _Mrs. Higurashi raised an eyebrow.

"Really now, you want to tell me about it?" Mama ventured. The teenage girl nodded.

"I actually want to tell you, Jiichan, and Souta about it right now… in the living room."

Mrs. Higurashi looked befuddled.

"Please Mama, now if you can." The older woman nodded and went to the living room, as Souta and Jiichan were already there. Kagome smiled.

"Thanks Mama… I have something to explain to you all that's going to take a while." She spoke as her mother walked away.

Kagome glanced behind her and gestured to InuYasha, who made his way down the rest of the stairs and followed her into the living room. The Hanyou found himself with three pairs of eyes staring at him right upon his entrance and he twitched nervously. Kagome gave him a reassuring smile, and motioned him to sit down next to her on a zabuton after she did so herself. Souta on the other hand, just grinned.

"Kagome-neechan you wanted us all to meet your boyfriend?" He asked as if he had made a startling realization. She shook her head in the negative, flustered at her brother's implications.

"Mama, Jiichan, Souta… this is InuYasha, he's _not _my boyfriend," she paused and took a deep breath, "But he _will_ need to stay here."

The eyes of every occupant of the living room widened in surprise. _And that's not even the beginning._ Kagome cleared her throat and prepared to tell them all about her _very_ interesting day.


	4. Welcome to the Family

Author's Note: I was all iffy about writing Jiichan in this chapter. At first in the series, he of course doesn't like InuYasha, and that's where this takes place. So right now, it's kind of rough between the two of them. I'm used to writing present timeline (as in where the manga is right now) Jiichan. The one who does house chores with InuYasha and just chills out with him at times.

**Note-** All chapters revised 4/21/06

---------------------------------

**"The Beginning of Tomorrow"**

_-Chapter Four-_

_**Welcome to the Family**_

By Kelly O'Connor

Kagome bit her lip and sighed, "Well you see… I umm, met InuYasha today," she started and then shook her head. _That's not right. Oooh how do I explain this._ _I'll just start from the beginning as if I were telling my family about any other day._

She took a deep breath.

"Well I was getting food for Buyo, you know… and I came home, and I," she paused, "Never mind, let me skip to what's important."

Kagome stopped to collect her thoughts. Her family continued to give her skeptical looks, and InuYasha fidgeted slightly next to her, momentarily shooting unsure looks to everyone in the room.

"I was out in the shrine and when I left it, Buyo came outside…"

"Kagome dear," Mrs. Higurashi interrupted, "You were in the shrine house? You hardly ever go out there."

"Perhaps she's finally gaining an appreciation for our history!" Jiichan put in. The teenage ignored him and continued.

"I had a class assignment that required me to look through the old shrine records," she explained, not wanting to go into the man at the tree that morning or the fact that InuYasha was the Hanyou from a legend that didn't exactly cast him in a favorable light. She was trying to get InuYasha a home here, and letting Jiichan know who he was would immediately out rule that possibility.

Jiichan and Mama nodded.

"I left the shrine and went back in the house to feed Buyo. Well… to make things short, there was an intruder."

Three pairs of eyes swerved to the Hanyou sitting on the couch.

"No, no the intruder wasn't him!" Kagome clarified. "It was a burglar." She paused when her family gasped, "When he noticed me… I ran, and I managed to get outside. I was backed up against the Goshinboku and…"

"Oh I get it!" Souta piped up, "So this guy came and saved you?" The young boy asked excitedly. Kagome rubbed the area between her eyes.

"Keh- like I wou--"

"Umm no," Kagome interrupted InuYasha and ventured forward, "I saved myself. He had a knife, and I pushed out my hands and… and I…I… blasted him." She winced. _How do I describe what I did?_

Luckily, her savior came in the form of someone not so expected.

"She blasted the guy because she's a Miko," InuYasha explained, noting Kagome's confusion as to what she had done.

Kagome's mouth formed an 'o,' not having connected the word "Miko" to the powers that had sprung forth upon fighting the man.

"A Miko…" Jiichan gasped. "Kagome, what happened when you attacked the man?"

"Well I put out my hands and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew he was back on the ground, with what looked like a burn." Kagome wrung her hands, "And my hands were… glowing pinkish."

"Ah I knew it!" Jiichan exclaimed, "Our family is descended from a long line of very powerful Miko, and you are obviously one of them!"

Kagome cleared her throat to continue. She knew her family was never known for spiritual power even in more reputable myths, but she supposed that what she had could be nothing but spiritual power.

"Basically the guy freaked out and left," she finished that part of the tale. "I caught enough of his appearance, and I was going to go in and call the police but…"

She halted, wondering how to even start on this part. Her eyes wandered over to InuYasha, who was fidgeting with his hands and tapping his feet impatiently.

"So Kagome," Mama inquired kindly, "Where does this young man figure in?"

"I uhh... well," Kagome struggled, "I found him in our yard, in the tree." She exhaled, "On the tree rather. I stood up to go inside, and when I touched the roots of the Goshinboku they began to dissolve."

"Whoa cool!" Souta expressed at his sister's tale.

While Kagome continued to explain, InuYasha's eyes fell on the small family sitting across from him. The old man, who he'd already pinpointed as a bit senile from the way he had spoken, kept shooting InuYasha suspicious glances as Kagome told the story. The middle-aged woman, who he knew as Kagome's mother, just gave him warm smiles every now and then.

She puzzled the Hanyou, as she seemed to be completely laid back regarding his presence_. Then again she doesn't know I'm a Hanyou yet._

Neither did the little boy, 'Souta,' as he kept giving InuYasha glances that appeared somewhat admiring. With a light "Keh" to himself, InuYasha began staring to his side, doing a small double take when the family's obese cat stalked into the room. Curious, he kept his eyes on the brown and beige feline as Kagome continued to tell the story of her day.

"Well the thing is of course InuYasha now has no where to go," she'd just completed telling the tale of releasing him from the tree. With a couple changes, one being the fact that she hadn't explained that he was a Hanyou, and yet another being that she told them he had been sealed there after being attacked by an evil Miko. _Which from all accounts I've picked up… seems to be the actual truth._

She noticed her grandfather shooting InuYasha dangerous glares every once in a while, and wondered if he had picked up on exactly who the young boy was. _I know Jiichan knows that legend. I imagine it's what he was eluding to this morning when he gave me the fake shikon no tama._

Boldly, she continued, "He doesn't have anyone around anymore, and he doesn't know how to live and… and."

"Kagome dear," Mama Higurashi cut in, "this is certainly rather strange, but I know you aren't one to tell tales." She paused, "I understand that this boy has nowhere to go, and I'd be willing to allow him to stay here, but eventually he'll have to go out on his own, once he adapts to umm… our era better." Kagome nodded.

"Well you see Mama, it's not that easy."

"Of course it's not that easy!" Jiichan interrupted, "Surely this boy must be under some sort of curse if this happened to him! Unfortunate things will befall our home if we let him stay!"

"Keh- I'm not under any curse Jiji!" InuYasha snapped, his attention back on the conversation.

"I think he seems cool Nee-chan!" Souta beamed, "He's from five hundred years ago. Is he a warrior?" Kagome gestured for silence.

"Mama, Jiichan, Souta, InuYasha!" She commanded, "Please!" The room went silent. "It's not that easy because there's one more thing about InuYasha I should tell you…" The dark haired girl looked to the elderly man. "No he's not cursed." Kagome took a deep gulp. "InuYasha is a Hanyou," she stated simply. She heard her grandfather and InuYasha stiffen, both for different reasons no doubt.

"Nee-chan what's a Hanyou?" Souta finally asked.

"A _youkai_!" Jiichan questioned angrily.

"Half youkai Jiichan," Kagome corrected, "and half _human_." She added so Souta could understand. InuYasha visually flinched.

"It doesn't matter, any youkai is all evil!" The gray haired man reasoned. Kagome blinked, getting a slight feeling of déjà vu from that statement.

"That isn't fair Jiichan," she replied naturally.

"My, my," Mrs. Higurashi glanced between the elderly man and the teenage girl, then to the silver haired boy who seemed to be growing more and more irritated by the moment. "This surely has been a strange day. InuYasha is a Hanyou, hmm?"

Kagome nodded in the positive. "InuYasha you can pull off your bandanna now," the schoolgirl requested.

He shot her an aggravated glower. "Keh, fine," InuYasha complied as he reached up and slid the bandanna off his head, placing it in his lap and revealing his most distinguishing trait to Kagome's family.

There was an audible silence in the room as his ears twitched to get the stiffness out of them.

"Uhh," Kagome broke the silence, "so you see… InuYasha is a Hanyou."

Kagome's eyes widened when she saw her mother's face break into a huge grin.

"Well," she laughed lightly, and stood up, "Aren't those the cutest things!" The dark haired woman squealed as she leaned over and placed her fingers on the surprised boy's canine ears.

Kagome could only stare, instead of being shocked or upset; her mother was… going on about how cute he was? _Then again I did the same thing when I saw his ears._

InuYasha looked much more shocked and startled then he did irritated at the action, _Of course, if those ears distinguish him as a Hanyou,_ she thought back to the appearance of his full youkai half brother, _the idea of someone liking them..._ She was whipped from her thoughts by the sound of her little brother.

"Let me do it next Mama!" The boy demanded, "Please!"

"Mama, Souta!" She interrupted their actions. Mrs. Higurashi and her younger brother both gave her rather sheepish grins and sat back down. Jiichan let out a light hmph from where he sat. "So, can he stay?" Kagome inquired nervously. Mama nodded.

"I told you I'd be willing to allow him to stay here," she answered. "I'll still allow that. Why would I not?" Kagome smiled gratefully at her mother, and InuYasha's face held a perplexed expression. _Just accepting me… just like that. Just like she did. Although that Jiji… Keh, who cares about him._

Said "Jiji" finally took the chance to speak.

"If you want to take the risk of having a youkai living in our house, that is up to you!" Jiichan crossed his arms, "But I will not allow a youkai to deceive my family." He glared at InuYasha. "I will be watching you. Don't you dare try anything." InuYasha looked unfazed.

"Keh, old man, like you could do anything!" The Hanyou snorted.

"My ofuda are foolproof! Many generations of Higurashi have used them, and a single one can obliterate a powerful youkai!" InuYasha rolled his eyes and prepared to retort, but Kagome cut in.

"That is enough you two! Jiichan, InuYasha is not going to hurt any of us. I know it. He just needs a place to stay." InuYasha stared at Kagome, blown away by this girl's trust in him.

"If he's the InuYasha of legend then…"

"You do know the legend Jiichan?" Kagome asked.

"Of course I do! It's one of the more well known ones of our shrine!" Kagome gave her grandfather a gentle smile.

"Jiichan, sometimes legends aren't as they are written. I'm sure you know that," she looked to the Hanyou, "Like I said, he has nowhere else to go. Please… give him a chance." The elderly shrine keeper looked in his granddaughter's eyes and saw the honesty and pleading within them.

"Very well," he reluctantly consented, "but I'm still keeping a watch on him." Kagome stood up to give him a quick hug.

"Thank you so much Jiichan," the teenage girl exclaimed thankfully. Mama Higurashi smiled at the exchange and turned her attention to their new house guest.

"InuYasha?" She began.

"Oi, what?" He replied. Mrs. Higurashi continued, not put off by his rude reply.

"If you plan on staying here… we have a lot to take care of," she paused. "We'll need to get you somewhere to sleep, teach you about living in this time, find something for you to do when Kagome's at school," she glanced down at his clothing. "Get you some new clothes of course…" InuYasha's eyes widened at all this.

"Life here is very different from how it was back then, and I know it's going to be a lot of work. We'll help you out, but we need your cooperation as well."

Kagome had turned her attention back to InuYasha and her mother, and she noticed the slightly overwhelmed expression the boy held. She also noted that her mother seemed extremely excited about all this.

"Eventually we'll have to get you some form of identity as well. That won't be easy, but I've heard of it being done before… and you're still young so we have some time." She halted her slight rambling a bit. "Say, how old are you anyway?" InuYasha looked surprised by the question, but paused to think.

"Fifteen springs," he replied, "Keh, what's it matter?"

"Oh you're the same age as Kagome then, that's nice!" Mama exclaimed. Kagome blushed lightly, flustered at her mother's implications. Mrs. Higurashi had a slight knack for matchmaking, and she knew what her mother was going for here.

"Mama!" Kagome groaned. "Leave InuYasha alone he's a bit…"

"Nee-chan!" Souta interrupted, "So he's really staying with us?" The young boy then proceeded to hop over to InuYasha and sit down directly next to him on the zabuton. "Neh, umm, Inu-no-niichan?" He said tentatively, as if trying out the nickname he'd just given the Hanyou on his tongue.

Mrs. Higurashi laughed lightly at her son, and Kagome couldn't help but repress a small smile.

"Inu-no-nii… Keh!" He shot the little boy a sharp glare. Souta looked non-intimidated and ventured on.

"Now that you're here… you can be like my big brother right?" Souta bit his lip, and InuYasha's expression softened a bit. "Play video games and soccer… help me with my chores…" He rambled.

InuYasha let out a small sound of surprise when he felt something leap onto his lap. Looking down, he saw that the enormous brown and beige cat from before had made himself a space on his lap. With a slight, growl he pushed the cat off onto the ground.

The Hanyou shot Souta, Jiichan, Mama, and Kagome all rather irritated looks, before crossing his arms across his chest. Kagome noted that his expression had turned more confused and perplexed--- overwhelmed, and his ears were flattened against his head as well.

"Now, now there's no need to push the cat," Mama remarked as Buyo lazily walked away. Kagome sighed lightly.

"Mama!" She called out.

"Hold on Kagome let me get InuYasha a…" She cut herself off when she saw that InuYasha had just stood up from the zabuton and bolted out of the room.

Following him into the hallway, Mama Higurashi watched as he ran out the front door, and made his way towards the Goshinboku. "Oh my…" Mama said in awe from the doorway, as she watched the teenage boy leap into the high up branches of the great tree. "I suppose…"

"He's overwhelmed Mama," Kagome came up behind her, "That's what I was trying to say. This is just too much for him to handle right now."

"You're right Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi sighed regretfully, "I'm sorry… perhaps we need to ease him into things instead of telling him all the burdens of our world in one night."

Kagome glanced out the doorway, and to the Hanyou high up in the branches of Goshinboku.

"Ease him very slowly Mama," she frowned, "he's got enough burdens already."

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	5. A Second Chance

Author's Notes- LOTS of thought in this chapter, and a heck of a lot from InuYasha at the end. This chapter has a scene that parallels the manga, although not exactly as well.

I got a review asking how Kagura could exist without the Shikon no Tama. I have an explanation regarding that, no fear. However it won't be revealed until the tale of Naraku's defeat is told.

There are a lot of mysteries in this story that won't be fully revealed until the Shikon no Tama is recovered from Kagome's body and the tale of Naraku told. I will explain it all though.

With that, read, enjoy and **please** take the time to _review_.

**Note-** All chapters revised 4/21/06

**The Beginning of Tomorrow**

_Chapter Five_

**A Second Chance**

_By Kelly O'Connor_

_"Ease him very slowly Mama, he's got enough burdens already,"_ Kagome's words echoed in Mama Higurashi's head as she continued to stare outside at the Hanyou lounging in the sturdy branches of the Goshinboku. From what she could tell in the dark, InuYasha looked extremely tense in his position.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed and looked to her daughter. "Kagome," she began, "Come into the kitchen with me, I do want to speak to you about all of this." Kagome nodded in agreement, and followed. "I'd say we have a lot to talk about," she began as she turned the stove on, opening a bag of rice and emptying it into a pot on the stove. "Did you and InuYasha already eat Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi inquired.

"Well yes, InuYasha ate… quite a bit of Ramen," Kagome mused.

"Well good, he's already accustomed to one modern thing then, prepackaged food." She smiled and began stirring the pot after adding water. "In any case, Kagome, I'll go ahead and make this. Considering the situation, he may be hungry again. Souta, Jiichan and I ate something on the way home." Kagome briefly looked down to her own stomach.

"I know I'm hungry. I let him eat the Ramen I made for myself in addition to his own." Kagome grinned sheepishly. "He really liked it." The older woman laughed lightly.

"That's good," Mrs. Higurashi exhaled and averted her eyes directly to her daughter, "Kagome," she ventured, "First thing is first, what exactly do you plan on doing now that you've discovered you have these Miko abilities?" The dark haired girl's eyes widened a bit.

"I really don't know Mama," she shook her head, "It's not like I know how to use them or what I could use them for." Kagome paused, "In all the legends I read as a child or Jiichan told me, Miko would use their powers to rid the world of evil youkai or heal people… but of course there is nothing for me to do with them now. Let alone anyone to help me learn how to use them."

"But you've already been able to use them for something. I think it isn't by chance that you were the one to be able to unseal that boy," Mama smiled assuredly. "After all, if only one with abilities such as your own could release InuYasha, do you think it could truly be a coincidence that you were born into the shrine he was sealed at?" Kagome looked puzzled.

"Mama, do you know something I don't?" She inquired.

"I don't know much of anything at all, less than you in any case," she shrugged and turned back to stir the pot of heating rice. "I just think that perhaps, you may find that you have a connection to InuYasha that you don't realize yet."

"Mama, you've been talking to Jiichan too much."

"And you just found a Hanyou from Sengoku Jidai pinned to the tree in our front yard Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi paused, "There is such thing as fate Kagome. Perhaps yours is tied to this boy in a way you do not know yet." Kagome flinched a bit and bit her lip, none too excited about having her fate permanently tied to a loud-mouthed teenage boy.

"Mama," she began, "You were so accepting of this situation. I mean I can understand Souta, but you just agreed to it all and were even optimistic about it… just like that. I mean, you know the legend behind InuYasha don't you?" Mama Higurashi nodded.

"Of course I know the legend. I heard it twice just yesterday when Jiichan was passing out those fake Shikon no Tama."

"And you're okay with this?" Kagome gave her a surprised look. Mrs. Higurashi dropped the ladle she was stirring with for a moment.

"I trust you Kagome," she stated simply. "You've never done anything to make me not trust you. I know that I can trust this boy because you do." Kagome nodded in resignation.

"…InuYasha didn't kill Kikyou," she stated after a moment of silence, "When I unsealed him, he thought I was Kikyou for some reason when he first saw me." Mama's brows rose slightly and Kagome continued. "But when I told him that Kikyou was dead and he had killed her, he gave me the most stunned look. His eyes were full of hurt, like someone had just shot him through the heart with an arrow all over again." Kagome paused, "And I realized… that those eyes weren't of someone who had betrayed, but of someone who had been betrayed themselves."

Mama Higurashi continued stirring the rice and motioned Kagome to continue. "He was looking away from me at the city. Obviously he had no idea what was going on, and when I looked at him I realized that I wanted to help him… because he looked so lonely. The legend made him out as some kind of monster Mama, but from what little time I've spent with him I know… he's hardly that. He's just a boy, a lost, confused, and lonely boy." Kagome exhaled and closed her eyes for a moment. "Albeit, still obnoxious."

"Then perhaps you're just the person he needs to get through this Kagome," her Mother put in, "Perhaps you, Kagome were given those powers so you could give this boy a second chance at life."

"After five hundred years?" Kagome questioned. Mrs. Higurashi laughed.

"No one ever said life made sense dear," Mama replied. Kagome nodded and glanced out the window.

"What is he supposed to do Mama?" The schoolgirl ventured, "It's not like there's any way for him to live a normal life."

"We'll give him all we have to give him. We can give him all a person really truly needs to get through life happily," the older woman continued wisely, "A home, a family, people who care about you… we can give InuYasha all of those things Kagome." She paused. "He may seem standoffish, but like you said… he's lonely. We'll make him happy Kagome; we'll give him what really matters in life." Kagome beamed brightly at her mother.

"Thank you Mama," she replied and walked over to wrap her mother in a hug. Mrs. Higurashi smiled gently and returned it with a motherly embrace. Mama pulled away after a moment and gasped, quickly grabbing a few bowls and a set of chopsticks down from the counter.

"I made rice because I know that's something he'd be familiar with," she paused, "I'm very sorry about earlier. I got excited, and well… seeing Souta so happy with InuYasha." Mrs. Higurashi's mouth quirked in an amused smile, "He always has wanted a big brother, hasn't he?"

"Yes, Souta has," Kagome replied. "I think InuYasha will be fine given time, but for now… I'm going to try not to force much new on him."

"Good idea," Mama handed Kagome two bowls of rice and two sets of chopsticks. "But in the meantime, it's getting very dark out. Why don't you go get that boy out of his tree and bring him inside for the night? He can't very well be sleeping out there." Kagome nodded, took the two bowls of rice in her hands, and made her way out to the Goshinboku.

"Hey you!" Kagome called up into the tree once she was outside. InuYasha looked down from his perch, giving her a slightly irritated glare.

"What's with the food?" The Hanyou asked annoyed.

"My mother made it for us, come down and eat with me," Kagome invited. InuYasha's eyes widened in surprise. "Unless you're still full from the Ramen that is." InuYasha "Keh-ed" lightly and deftly leapt from the tree landing next to Kagome. He immediately began scooting away a bit.

"What's up with you?" Kagome raised her eyebrows at him, "You were acting more hospitable earlier."

"Bah- it doesn't matter," InuYasha grabbed the bowl of rice and chopsticks and began eating.

"Sorry about earlier, my Mother tends to get excited about things," Kagome paused, "I don't think she realized you were overwhelmed."

"Hmph, who said I was overwhelmed? I was just getting annoyed with your family." Kagome gave him an aggravated glare.

"You were overwhelmed, and don't brush this off on my family annoying you," she replied sternly, "My mother, family, and I are going to do everything in our power to make you happy InuYasha. So why don't you try to be a little more friendly, okay?"

"Keh, why should I?"

"Because we're all you have, and we want to help you," she paused, "I told you this before."

"Your grandfather hates me," InuYasha argued. Kagome shrugged.

"He'll get over it InuYasha, he's just… like that with a lot of stuff." The schoolgirl took a few bites of rice. "You'll need to come in for the night InuYasha. Mama will let you sleep on the pillows, and soon… I'm sure we'll even get you your own room to sleep in."

"Pillows?" InuYasha questioned, unfamiliar with that particular piece of furniture.

"The soft thing you sat on when I introduced you to my family... err zabuton," she clarified. InuYasha scowled.

"Keh, I'll sleep in the tree." Kagome gave him an odd look.

"You can't be sleeping outside, we've got a warm place for you to sleep inside," she argued.

"I like sleeping outside okay? I've done it most of my life!" He snapped in return. Kagome closed her eyes for a moment, _ease him into it… Don't rush anything._

"Okay, I understand. I'm sure you need some time on your own anyway," she said in resignation. "Just… I've got to come get you before people start visiting the shrine in the morning, and you can't argue with me about that."

"What are you going to hide me for the rest of my life?" InuYasha asked in anger. Kagome was surprised, he had seemed irritated before, but now he was acting downright spiteful. _What exactly was he thinking about when I was inside?_

"It's not that! I just want you to get a bit more used to this era InuYasha," Kagome replied unfazed. "Eventually I want you to be able to feel comfortable here, but for now… just please listen to me, there's nothing else for you to do in this situation." InuYasha didn't reply. "I think Mama has already decided you're a part of our family InuYasha. We'll be here when you need us, so please take our feelings and needs into consideration as well." Kagome picked up her empty bowl as well as InuYasha's and yawned. "Just some food for thought, now I'm heading to bed." _In actuality I need to do my homework first, but I think I've given him enough mental overload without explaining my schooling. _Kagome thought to herself as she walked inside, leaving a pondering Hanyou.

With a sigh, InuYasha quickly leapt back to his makeshift perch in Goshinboku. He leaned his head against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of thoughts that ran through his head. He'd been exceptionally rude to Kagome a moment ago and he knew why. _When I was with her earlier, I let my guard down. I don't care what she says; I have to distance myself from her. She'll just end up getting hurt otherwise. Keh, not that I care but, everyone involved with me gets hurt. I guess that's just the way it is with me._ InuYasha looked up to the stars above him, noting how few of them there were compared to back before he was sealed. He wondered where they'd all gone. He'd have to ask Kagome. _No, no, it's better for me to be… alone._ He exhaled deeply, "Hmph, I'm fine by myself anyway!" He said aloud, but unconvincingly, his voice echoing in his ears.

The Hanyou reflected back on his encounter with Kagome's family earlier. He'd actually felt rather comfortable at times, although he was undeniably nervous. _That stupid old man was glaring at me the whole time, but her mother_… He sighed to himself, his mind recalling who he couldn't help but notice that woman reminded him of. _Mother…_ The white haired boy closed his eyes as his mind conjured a hazy vision of the human woman who had raised him, _Mother was the only person who accepted me completely, but she left me too._

He frowne. _Damn, who cares about Kagome's family! After I get used to this stupid world more, I'll leave and find somewhere else to go._ He shook his head_, But where? It doesn't matter… I have time to figure something out. I can't stay forever. Last time I got close to a Miko…_ he cut off his thoughts as his mind flashed back to the moment Kikyou had pierced him with that arrow.

_Why?_ He thought to himself bitterly_. I made her a promise, and she… betrayed me. Didn't she trust me? Did I trust her? Kagome said that I killed Kikyou, and she mentioned a legend. Is what happened with Kikyou and I a legend? If what I did was supposedly so horrible, why am I here now? Why was she able to revive me? One moment I'm being pierced through the heart with an arrow and the next moment I wake up here._ He sighed deeply. Like the blink of an eye, supposedly five hundred years in a blink of an eye. The Hanyou shifted his position and winced a bit, ears twitching. Kagome was right about one thing, sleeping outside would not be pleasant. This time was loud, the strange sounds of large objects moving below the shrine was incredibly frustrating. _Not like I'd be able to sleep anyway._

He closed his eyes and resigned himself to just resting, but as he did so a thought tickled at the back of his mind. His mother had once told him that someday he'd find someone or some people that would accept him completely as he was, just like she had. He thought he'd found that with Kikyou, but apparently it was all a façade. S_he didn't care after all._ He flinched inwardly_, I always thought that Mother said that just to make me feel better, but when Kikyou came along, I thought maybe she was right. And now…could this be my second chance?_ InuYasha crossed his arms_, Keh, that's a stupid thought,_ and with that he closed his eyes and attempted to sleep for the night.


	6. The Wind User's Discovery

**"The Beginning of Tomorrow"**

Chapter Six

**The Wind User's Discovery**

By Kelly O'Connor

The wind rustled in the treetops around the Higurashi shrine as the sun crept up the horizon; the signal of the start of another day in Tokyo. The skies were colored with pastel-morning hues as one particular woman went on a morning outing in a very unusual way.

Despite the fact that the man who had held her captive as his unwilling servant had been dead for almost five hundred years, Kagura still sometimes felt the need to relish the freedom she had gained upon his defeat. Thus, many times when it was still early and those out would mistake her for a large bird, Kagura found herself flying atop her great white feather just to relax herself.

The breeze blew through her tied back hair as the female youkai swerved the white feather to avoid an incoming gust of wind.

"Hmm?" Kagura wondered out loud; as she paused above the Higurashi shrine. She could discern loud arguing below.

The black haired youkai wasn't one to normally spy, but with those voices, she felt a small amount of youki. Being that there were very few youkai still alive in the modern era, Kagura was familiar with most that currently resided in Tokyo. But this aura was unfamiliar.

Lowering her feather down to a distance where she could clearly see what was going on, Kagura's breath caught and her crimson eyes widened.

"Hanyou," the wind user said to herself as she took in the appearance of the silver haired boy on the shrine grounds below.

He seemed to be in a heated argument with a very determined looking human girl, and his clothing was that of the long ago Sengoku Jidai.

"How strange," Kagura continued to listen in on the conversation. Despite the fact that youkai were few and far between nowadays, Hanyou were still as rare as ever.

The wind youkai adjusted her position a bit as she listened to the argument, pulling the long casual skirt she wore out from under her in order to be more comfortable.

"Stop arguing about this with me!" The dark-haired teenage girl demanded from the Hanyou.

"Oi, what am I supposed to do inside your house all day anyway?" The white haired boy replied with his arms crossed.

"Mama will find something, you just can't be wondering around the shrine grounds. I told you that last night!" The human girl snapped back in aggravation.

"Hmph, why do you have such a problem with me anyway?" The Hanyou asked in defense.

"I don't have a problem with you!" She yelled back in exasperation, "The problem's with your attitude!" The half youkai looked slightly taken aback by this and only managed a "Keh" in response.

Kagura strained her ears a bit when the girl lowered her voice.

"Look, I'm sorry you have to stay inside all day, really I am," the girl began with an apologetic tone, "I have to go to school every day, and there's no where for you to go right now… I told you this and," she gave the boy a somber look. "I'm sorry InuYasha I really am."

Kagura's blinked in surprise when she heard the Hanyou's name.

"InuYasha?" She repeated his name, startled. "What the hell?" The woman glanced back down to the boy, noting his oft-twitching canine ears. "Well he is an Inu-Hanyou," Kagura reasoned, "But I thought Sesshoumaru's younger brother was long dead."

She chanced one more look down to the bickering pair, "Damnit, I'll just go check it out myself."

Descending to the shrine grounds, Kagura placed her feather back in her hair and turned to the fighting teenagers. "Yo," she said simply as they turned to her.

Kagome gasped and InuYasha took on a defensive stance.

_Shit! How did I not notice her? I guess Kagome was distracting me too much with her stupid rambling._

The schoolgirl's gawked at the woman, taking in her red eyes, pointed ears, and contrasting that- a rather ordinary long skirt and blouse.

"Umm," Kagome ventured bravely, "Are you a youkai?"

Kagura smirked. "A youkai? Yes. I am Kagura," The wind user's stare met that of Kagome's.

"I'm uhh, Kagome," the teenage girl replied, momentarily startled. "Wait a minute! You're not here for InuYasha are you?" Her eyes narrowed. "Because if you are I'll…"

"What the hell?" InuYasha interrupted, "I can defend myself. I don't need your help!"

"Excuse me?" Kagome snapped back, "If it weren't for my help you'd still be stuck to a tree!"

"Keh- Well I would have…"

"No you wouldn't have, InuYasha," she sighed, the youkai momentarily forgotten. "We've already discussed this, face it- you're screwed without me!"

"Like hell I am!"

"Hmm," Kagura cut into the argument, "I'm not here to do anything of that type. InuYasha I have a few questions for you." InuYasha did not move from his defensive stance.

"Keh- what do you want, _youkai_?" The boy responded.

"Well, _Hanyou_, I would be correct in assuming you're the younger half brother of Sesshoumaru would I not?" InuYasha and Kagome both stiffened.

"Why the hell do you want to know?" He growled.

"Hmmm, so you _are_ his Hanyou little brother," Kagura put a hand on one hip, "Sesshoumaru said you were killed by a Miko hundreds of years ago." A pained expression briefly crossed InuYasha's features. "Care to tell me how you're here now?"

"Hmph, why should I tell a friend of Sesshoumaru's anything?" He retorted.

"That's true, you really have no reasons. From what Sesshoumaru tells me, you two didn't exactly often engage in brotherly bonding."

Kagome gulped and stepped forward, not noticing how InuYasha tensed up when she stood in front of the female youkai.

"Umm, how do you know InuYasha's older brother anyway?" She asked courageously, unfazed by the potentially powerful youkai in front of her. Kagura shrugged.

"When you've been living with a guy for almost five hundred years you do tend to get to know him. Although with Sesshoumaru, he's so closed up that it would take--"

"What!" InuYasha interrupted, "You're Sesshoumaru's… you're _with _Sesshoumaru?"

"You're Sesshoumaru's wife?" Kagome translated, slightly surprised herself. From the short glimpse she'd gotten the day before of him, he didn't strike her as the type to be in a relationship.

"Sesshoumaru and I have a slightly unique living arrangement," she replied, somewhat amused at the Hanyou's reaction.

"Bah, of course you're not his wife or something. There's no way a woman could ever fall for an asshole like Sesshoumaru."

"I could say the same about someone falling for you InuYasha," Kagura retorted with a shrug, "You don't exactly seem charming yourself." Kagome somewhat subconsciously nodded in agreement. InuYasha noticed and "Keh-ed" in her direction, a sour look crossing his features.

"Sesshoumaru said something about the Miko pinning you to a tree," Kagura began, changing the subject from her relationship with the youkai lord, "I'm guessing this human is the one who unsealed you." Kagome shook her head lightly. "As for my part in this, I don't much care about all of it. I just happened to fly by..." She motioned towards the feather in her hair, "Noticed a loudmouthed Hanyou down below me, heard his name, and decided to see if he was Sesshoumaru's brother."

"Keh, I'm not loudmouthed!" InuYasha defended himself lamely.

Kagome rubbed between her eyes. _No you're not loudmouthed at all InuYasha._

"So what are you going to do, go tell Sesshoumaru? The last person I want to see is him!"

Kagura shrugged. "Hmph, who says he wants to see you either? But I think he has the right to know." She pulled the feather out of her tied back hair and flipped it, transforming it into her large feather. InuYasha rolled his eyes, not impressed. "I'll be leaving now, that's all I needed to know," she paused, "And by the way I have no issue with you _or_ your girlfriend, InuYasha." Kagura mounted the feather and quickly flew away, leaving InuYasha with an aggravated expression.

"My… what?" He spat out, slightly flustered. Kagome just shook her head.

"InuYasha, my boyfriend? Like that could ever happen," she glanced back to the Hanyou. "I'm still going to school, and you're still going inside."

"Wha-? I have to patrol the grounds for other youkai! Not that I care, but if some come to this shrine…"

"InuYasha," Kagome began, "I really don't believe that woman had any evil intentions."

"Of course she did. She lives with Sesshoumaru!" He reasoned. She gave him a somewhat blank look.

"Well you don't exactly have the best reputation either InuYasha, but you don't see me jumping to conclusions about you." Kagome paused, "I've formed my own opinion about you. I didn't base it on any legend, or what anyone said. You need to stop being so presumptuous. You're the last person who should be acting like that." InuYasha stepped back, feeling the brunt of her last comment.

"Keh," was all he could come up with, defeated at his own game.

"I'm not saying all is safe and well, but I'm not going to let my family alter their life just because you think everyone is out to get you. You're going inside, and the shrine will continue business as usual today." Kagome gave him a somewhat stern expression and went inside with intentions of him following.

InuYasha stood behind, processing what Kagome had said. _I guess she's just trying to help, but here I am…_ He cut off his own thoughts with a light "hmph" and found himself following the girl inside.

----------------------------------------------------------

Kagura landed softly on the ground and placed her feather in her hair once more. The doors of a large estate on the edge of Tokyo lay in front of her. Sesshoumaru, being a youkai, obviously couldn't be heavily involved in the business world. However, like many youkai, over time he'd acquired a fortune by investing in other businesses and collecting artifacts from various eras. He often ended up selling them to museums.

He, still a respected name to the remaining youkai, was undeniably wealthy. Kagura had her fair share of wealth as well, along with living with Sesshoumaru. With a quick stretch of her arms, Kagura walked up to the doors and pushed them open.

"Yo, Sesshoumaru!" She yelled into the foyer as she entered, smirking when she heard him emerging from his office on the first floor.

"Kagura," he made his way into the foyer and acknowledged her presence, "You were- out?"

"Hmm, I was just flying. You know I like to do that at times," she shrugged, "However, I found out something very interesting today."

"Interesting?" The youkai raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"You had a brother named InuYasha, a Hanyou right?" Kagura inquired.

"I did. At one time." Sesshoumaru replied.

"Pinned to a tree by a Miko?" She continued.

"Yes."

"Well guess what?" The dark haired woman paused, "The girl who lives at the Higurashi shrine must be a Miko herself, because your brother's not on that tree anymore."

Sesshoumaru went silent for a moment, no doubt surprised but not one to show it.

"So someone managed to unseal my half brother," he stated calmly, "I suppose I will just have to pay him a visit then."

The inu-youkai turned around and walked back into the office, leaving Kagura to shake her head.

"After all this time, he is still one truly strange man."


	7. Under a Mother's Care

**Author's Note-** Chapter revised 8/12/06

Ah and here's a fanart from the end of chapter 3 that my beta reader Tailfluffgirl drew if you're curious:

www. deviantart. com /view/ 6576489/

Anyway- read, review, and enjoy.

**Japanese guide-**

_Tadaima_- I'm home.

**"The Beginning of Tomorrow"**

_Chapter Seven_

_**Under a Mother's Care**_

By Kelly O'Connor

"Mama, guess what!" The young boy bounced into the kitchen, a pencil and a textbook held to his chest with one arm.

"Souta?" Mrs. Higurashi turned to him from the counter where she was preparing lunches for him and Kagome. "Shouldn't you be finishing up the homework you didn't get done last night?" She gave him a stern but gentle look and Souta scratched the back of his head.

"Well I was but…" He paused and a wide grin made its way across his face, "I looked outside… and I saw Kagome-neechan and Inu-no-niichan. They were talking to this woman. But I couldn't hear them, and then she flew away on a giant feather!" Souta gestured animatedly. The dark haired woman raised her eyebrows.

"Is that so, Souta?" She closed up one completed Bento box. The young boy nodded.

"Inu-no-niichan looked angry at her, but Neechan said something to him and he calmed down and came inside with her."

"Oh that's good," Mrs. Higurashi smiled lightly, pleased. From what she was picking up, getting the Hanyou to cooperate wouldn't be near as much trouble as she originally thought… within time. "Where are they?"

"They're upstairs. Kagome-neechan went up to her room and Inu-no-niichan followed." The young boy shrugged. The dark haired woman smiled lightly.

"Souta, go finish up your homework, please?" She asked. He sighed and clenched his textbook a little tighter.

"Okay Mama," Souta replied and made his way to his downstairs room. Mrs. Higurashi looked after him as she closed up the two Bento boxes. With a wry smile she then left the kitchen and walked up the steps to check on the pair of teenagers in her daughter's room.

"Dear," the older woman ventured as she knocked on the door.

"Come in Mama," Kagome replied quickly, exasperation clear in her voice.

Mrs. Higurashi tapped her chin at her daughter's tone and shrugged, opening the door and walking into the room.

Kagome sat at her desk, finishing up a bit of last minute homework. Periodically she glanced back at InuYasha- who was sitting on Kagome's bed with his legs crossed, looking both nonplused and irritated. Mama Higurashi couldn't help but feel that she didn't recall seeing him _yet_ without a look of poorly hidden confusion written clearly on his face.

"Ah, Kagome, are you almost ready for school?" The older woman inquired. The schoolgirl closed up her textbook and placed her pencil on her desk.

"Yes I am Mama, I just finished the last of my geometry," she replied in relief. Mama pressed her fingers to her forehead when she saw Kagome glance at the Hanyou with a slightly somber look.

"Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi walked over and placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "He'll be fine," she whispered, "I'll do everything in my power to accommodate that boy and make him comfortable."

InuYasha's ears perked up at the conversation and he let out a "Keh" from behind the two as he crossed his arms in faux annoyance.

"Mama!" Kagome pointed out. "He can hear you!" The older woman covered her mouth and looked back at the Hanyou sheepishly.

"Oh dear, I forgot," She shrugged. "I'm sorry about that, InuYasha."

"Whatever," he retorted. Mrs. Higurashi moved over to the bed and sat down next to him.

"But I mean it," she reaffirmed. "If there is anything you need, just ask okay?" Kagome frowned, knowing what InuYasha would probably request.

"Oi, fine then, do I have to stay inside?" The Hanyou grumbled. Kagome slapped her palm to her forehead.

"InuYasha, not this again…"

"Why not? She asked what I wanted!" He retorted. Mrs. Higurashi sighed.

"I'm afraid for now you'll have to stay inside InuYasha. In time, once you're more used to it…"

"Bah, you too?" InuYasha snapped. "I don't see why you have to hide me. That Kagura was a youkai and she didn't have to…"

"InuYasha!" Kagome ground out and clenched her fist. "Please, not this again!"

Mama gestured Kagome to calm down and placed her hand on the Hanyou's shoulder. Startled by her touch, he looked up into her eyes, brimming with motherly concern.

"We're not trying to hide you. We're trying to protect you," the woman smiled at him.

InuYasha was struck speechless. The warm look in her eyes combined with her sincere words. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine it was his own mother placating him in such a manner.

"Keh- fine," InuYasha resigned, unable to muster up the will to argue with this woman.

Kagome simply blinked. _Mama always does know exactly what to say I guess._

"Good. Now Kagome I think its time for you to head off! Your Bento box is on the kitchen counter."

"Uhh right," she grabbed her backpack and slung it on her back. "InuYasha," she walked over to him and gave him a weak smile. "I'll be back as soon as school is over, I promise."

The Hanyou let out a sound of supposed unconcern, and Mrs. Higurashi laughed lightly.

---------------------------------------

Once Kagome and Souta had left, InuYasha quickly began showing obvious signs of boredom. He'd been lounging lazily in the living room for at least a couple hours, barely moving. Jiichan was in the shrine most of the day, and Mama was staying in the house with InuYasha.

Not wanting to overwhelm him, Mrs. Higurashi avoided turning the television on despite the fact that it may have brought him a bit of entertainment. When late morning came around, she ventured into the living room and sat down on a cushion across from the bored Hanyou, a bowl of Ramen in her hand.

"InuYasha?" He looked up in acknowledgment of her presence. "Are you hungry?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she gestured to the Ramen and chopsticks she held in her hands.

InuYasha frowned and nodded. Mama slid the bowl over the table so he could reach it.

"Kagome told me you really liked Ramen, so I decided you could eat that today." A smile crossed her features when she saw that the young boy had already started in on his early lunch. "Of course you won't be able to eat that for every meal but…"

"Why not?" He glanced up from his bowl disappointed.

"Well ah… because we don't always eat that for meals, and as part of our family, we'll want you to eat dinner with us." Mrs. Higurashi adjusted her legs to a more comfortable sitting position.

The teenager dropped his chopsticks and went completely silent, at her words. _Family?_ He cut off his thought with a huff and let out a weak "Keh" as he went back to his noodles.

"Once you're used to this era more, InuYasha," Mama Higurashi explained, recalling his boredom upon her entrance into the living room. "You can help around the shrine when Kagome's at school. And when you're more comfortable, I'll even start giving you a bit of an education when she's attending class."

"Huh?"

"Well since you're here in our era now, you'll need to learn, gain knowledge. I don't know how much you already know but… don't worry about it for now." InuYasha set his empty bowl on the table.

"Hmph, What do you want me to learn anyway?" The Hanyou asked, feigning indifference, although he was clearly curious. Mrs. Higurashi tapped her chin in thought.

"Well ah, I'll have to teach you about how everything works now, but that will come in time," she paused. "And… do you know how to read or write at all?"

"Yah! ...Kind of..." He groused. The dark haired woman raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh, then I suppose I've gotten the wrong idea," she smiled, curious as to how a boy from that era had learned such things.

"You and everyone else!" He snapped in return. "Dammit! I'll have you know my Mother did teach me things, I'm not an idiot!" The Hanyou finished, attempting to mask his hurt with animosity.

He was even surprised at his outburst, but this woman was unearthing memories of his own mother the more he spoke to her. Mama Higurashi scooted back a bit in shock at the poorly concealed distress in his voice.

"That's not what I meant InuYasha," Mrs. Higurashi looked down in slight shame. "I'm sorry. I wasn't meaning to judge you." InuYasha turned away, his amber eyes distant. ""Would you like to talk about it?" The woman tentatively asked, "You don't have to but..."

"It's not like that..." He said softly, and then balling his hand into a fist, he continued, "Keh! Just forget it!"

"All right, but if you ever need someone to talk to about it then, I'm here." Mama reached over for InuYasha's empty bowl and stood up, preparing to leave the room.

Sighing deeply, he looked down, focusing his gaze on an empty spot on the table.

"Because I've been on my own since I was young…" The boy began quietly. Mrs. Higurashi slowly turned around to listen. "Mother did what she could while she was… before I lost her."

His eyes darkened as memories coursed through his mind. Filled with sympathy, Mama made her way over to sit down next to the boy, once again placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Mrs. Higurashi bit her lip as a thought came to her.

"Your mother… was she human InuYasha?" She deducted, figuring by his very human behavior that he was clearly raised by one. InuYasha frowned.

"Yeah, so what if she was!" He growled in frustration. She smiled gently and reassured him by squeezing his shoulder once more.

"There's nothing wrong with that. Thank you…" She stood up and gave him a pat on the back. InuYasha just nodded, feeling somewhat subdued. "If you like, I can leave you alone now."

"Hmph, you can if you want," he retorted with a false edge to his voice. Mama cracked a smile and headed to the kitchen, leaving the boy to his thoughts.

--------------------------------------------------

Kagome yawned and tapped her pencil on the desk as her history teacher tied up his lecture. Glancing up at the clock, she grinned. Class would be out any moment, and her group wasn't assigned the duty of cleaning up the room that day.

She wanted to go home; she'd wanted to go home ever since school started that day. InuYasha wasn't exactly the best of company, but leaving him behind left her with a feeling of guilt that pooled in her stomach the entire day.

_I'm going to have to get over it. I'll have to do the same thing every day._

"Class dismissed," the Sensei interrupted her thoughts. Kagome quickly grabbed her books and scrambled up and out the door, making a beeline for the school exit.

"Kagome-chan!" A feminine voice called her name. Kagome whipped her head around to see her three closest friends; Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi approaching her. She sighed in exasperation.

"Hey," she replied simply as they reached her. "I'm on my way home so I can't really stay and talk…"

"But Kagome-chan," Yuka, interrupted, pushing a piece of her short black hair out of her face. "Don't you remember what today is?" Kagome blinked.

"Ah… no?" She answered, something tickling at the back of her mind. However, the events of the past day had made her forget. Ayumi smiled wistfully.

"We're supposed to go study with Houjo-kun today!" The wavy-haired girl swooned.

"Oh well, I have to go home. I'm really sorry you guys!" Kagome turned around to walk off. She genuinely felt bad leaving her friends behind, but the call to go home like she had promised InuYasha was stronger.

"Kagome-chan!" Eri ran up next to her. "Do you really want to miss this? Studying with Houjo-kun is a great opportunity. You _know_ how much he likes you!" Kagome rubbed the back of her head.

"And I've told you I'm not interested in him," she shrugged. "You three should go since you all like him so much."

Kagome glanced around the hallways, noticing that they'd completely drained of students.

"Look, I'm really sorry but I have to go home early. I promised a… umm friend that I'd come home right after school to see him."

Her eyes widened when she realized the slip up in mentioning the gender of said 'friend.' The three girls could be far too observant for their own good, and Kagome knew this.

"So I'll be going now, bye!" She clutched her textbooks to her chest and turned back around, jogging out of the school as quickly as possible.

Yuka smirked once Kagome had exited the school. "Did Kagome-chan just say _he_?" Eri nodded.

"I wonder who she could be going home to see…" She pushed her yellow headband back a bit. Ayumi's mouth formed a surprised 'O.'

"You don't think she could be talking about Houjo-kun do you? Maybe he just wanted to study with…" She was cut off when the figure of a sandy haired teenage boy walked up next to them.

"Have you three seen Higurashi?" He asked, oblivious to the discussion that had just occurred regarding him.

"I guess she didn't go with Houjo-kun," Yuka smacked her hand to her forehead.

"Ah, no… that's why I'm looking for her." The schoolboy blinked innocently. Eri laughed nervously.

"I think we're going to have to study without her today," she clarified, and with that- Houjo let out one very dejected sigh.

--------------------------------------------------

InuYasha leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, his foot tapping the floor absently. Surprisingly enough, after Mrs. Higurashi left the room, his mind had been fairly void of thought. His discussion with her had briefly brought back memories of his time with his mother, but as with any other time those had come up, he'd buried them as soon as he could.

The rest of it, he was just having trouble processing at the moment. Kagome and her mother- were so open, kind, and accepting of him. He thought it was something they'd stop doing within a short period, but their behavior was instead becoming consistently _more_ warm and welcoming.

InuYasha was half afraid they may cause him to accidentally let his guard down, something he didn't want to ever do again- not when the last time he'd done it had resulted in the betrayal that still seemed like yesterday to him.

What was currently confusing InuYasha most though, was an issue regarding Kagome. Namely that, for some reason he could simply not put his finger on, he found himself anxiously awaiting her return from 'school.'

_It's not as if I like being around her… Keh, it's just really boring here by myself, _he tried to convince himself, but to no avail.

Mrs. Higurashi had mentioned something about her being home at a certain 'time,' but InuYasha had no idea how to tell modern time, so that was completely lost on him.

_Whatever, she still better hurry up._

--------------------------------------

Kagome stretched her arms as she walked up the extensive shrine steps to reach her home.

_I wonder what Mama had InuYasha do all day…_ She thought for what must have been the hundredth time that afternoon. _He must have been bored; I hope he didn't drive Mama insane when he was cooped up in the house._ The schoolgirl tapped her chin and smiled lightly. _We'll go outside. That will hopefully appease him a bit._

With a smile she hopped up the last few stairs and quickly crossed the yard, pausing momentarily before creaking open the front door.

"Tadaima!" Kagome called as she walked into the house, slipping off her shoes in the process.

Mama Higurashi greeted her with a motherly hug before gesturing her towards the living room, but InuYasha had already entered the foyer before she could move.

"Kagome!" Unbidden, a small smile crossed his face, happy she was home although he couldn't admit it to even himself. However, that smile was abruptly replaced with a frown. "Oi! Took you long enough," he snapped sourly, but Kagome noticed what he didn't even seem to realize he'd done.

"What did you just say InuYasha?" She glanced at him warmly. The Hanyou blinked.

"Uhh, I said 'It took you long enough,'" he replied in bewilderment.

"Before that," Kagome clarified. "You said my name!" The teenager grinned. InuYasha balked. "That's the first time you've called me by it."

"What no I… Keh!" The young boy cut himself off. _Damnit, I didn't even realize I'd never said it…_

"Nice to see you too, InuYasha," she said amiably, eliciting a grumble from him. "You didn't bug Mama too much did you?" Mrs. Higurashi gestured in the negative.

"Oh no, no Kagome, he was very sweet!" She clarified. InuYasha huffed and turned to leave at _that_ comment, but Kagome stopped him.

"Wait, InuYasha!" The schoolgirl called. The teenage boy turned around and glared at her.

"What _is_ it?"

"You wanna go outside?" She slipped her backpack off.

"Huh?"

"Well you've been cooped up inside all day, I figured…"

"Do I have to wear that thing over my ears?" InuYasha interrupted, gesturing with his hand towards his head. Kagome shrugged.

"Usually you will, but the Shrine is closed for the day. So there's no reason." He crossed his arms.

"Oi, fine let's go."

"Good, I can even take you on a tour of the shrine!" Kagome suggested as she walked out the door with InuYasha following.

"That sounds stupid," he complained. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Oh well it's better than staying inside all day isn't it?" She retorted. InuYasha went silent for a moment before settling on a simple "Keh."

Mrs. Higurashi watched the pair from the doorway as they crossed the shrine yard, still bickering. A genuine smile spread across her features.

_They're at ease around each others. He's already growing comfortable around her. I think… that this is going to end up being the best thing that could possibly happen to both of them._

---------------------------------------------------


	8. Changed For Good

**Author's Note-** Umm… wow. I haven't updated this fic in over a year. Not kidding. But it is one of my favorite stories, so I don't really know why. Anyway, I'm updating it now. I have a slightly revised version of some of the earlier chapters I'll be posting within the next few days. Mostly it's just a bit of minor tweaking here and there. Paragraph breaking, fixing some redundant dialogue, grammar fixes, etc. But this fic will be updated from now on!

Revised- 8/12/06

**The Beginning of Tomorrow**

_Chapter Eight_

_**Changed for Good**_

By Kelly O'Connor

* * *

"Jiichan says this shrine has been around in various forms for over five hundred years," Kagome brushed her hands along the edges of her skirt. "But I guess you would know that," she let out a sheepish laugh. 

InuYasha didn't reply, instead his eyes wandered across the shrine grounds. The old shrine house appeared nearly identical, but the rest of the sacred area had been completely rebuilt from what he remembered.

He'd never been into the shrine, not until the day he snatched the shikon no tama from its resting place.

InuYasha had not once considered the idea of setting foot upon that holy ground.

"It didn't become the Higurashi's Dusk shrine until about one hundred and seventy years ago," Kagome explained, "To be honest… I'm not sure who owned it before then."

Scuffing his barefoot along the stone-paved ground, InuYasha made a noise in the back of his throat. "You've always lived here?"

"Eh?" she replied, taken aback by his sudden curiosity. "Actually I just moved here a few years ago. Mama, Souta and I moved in with Jiichan when my Father passed away..."

"Oh…"

Raising her face to catch the late afternoon sunlight, Kagome shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago."

Amber eyes averting their gaze another direction, InuYasha changed the subject.

"What's that?"

"Oh?" Kagome noted where his stare was headed. "Ah that's the old well-house. Neh InuYasha how about we…"

"Inu-no-niichan!" A boyish voice interrupted. The sound of a soccer ball bouncing and tennis-shoe clad footsteps followed and Souta made his way over to the teenage pair.

"Souta!" His elder sister acknowledged sharply.

Picking up the soccer ball from the ground, the boy glanced to the Hanyou.

"Bah, what do you want?" InuYasha grumbled, voice callous.

Souta blinked, unfazed. "You wanna play?" He held out the ball.

Crossing his arms, the older boy 'keh-ed.'

"I'm not a brat anymore," he snapped.

Kagome smacked her hand against her forehead.

Eyes meeting the ground, Souta sighed in disappointment. "You don't have to be a kid to play soccer, Inu-no-niichan."

The Hanyou didn't bother to question what 'soccer' was, but turned away from the boy. "Oi, I said _no._"

Clutching the soccer ball to his chest in defeat, Souta frowned. "All right Inu-no-niichan, but… I would really love to play with you sometime."

Giving him one last final look, the elementary aged boy ran off towards the house.

Kagome shot InuYasha an irritated glare. "I don't expect you to be the nicest guy in the world InuYasha, and I'm even willing to let you be a bit of a jerk considering your circumstances but…" Reaching forward, she grabbed one of the two side-locks that hung in front of his shoulder, eliciting a groan of pain from the Hanyou. "But can you be just a bit friendlier?" She quipped. "For some oddball reason, my brother seems to have grown really fond of you, so even if you don't want to play with him, it wouldn't hurt to at least be a _little _nicer would it?"

Eyes wide, InuYasha pulled away from the surprisingly strong girl's grip. "All I did was tell him I didn't want to play ball with him!"

"InuYasha…" Kagome gritted out.

"I'm not a kid! Why would I play with him?" He reasoned.

Hands firm upon her hips, Kagome's eyebrows narrowed.

"You're acting a lot more childish than most kids do."

"Keh!"

"Look InuYasha, I'm not saying you have to play with him but," Kagome paused in exasperation, "you didn't have to be so rude about it! Just tell him you're not up to it, don't insult him."

"I ain't gonna go out of my way to be nice to everyone," InuYasha retorted.

Grabbing his fist, she wrenched her hand around it tightly. "I don't see what your problem is. You complain about everyone rejecting you, that your brother hates you and a bunch of other things," she bit her lip, "but when you have a group of people treating you with complete kindness, and a boy who wants to be a _good_ brother… you just shove it away!"

_Yeah, what is my problem?_ Lowering his voice, the Hanyou cleared his throat. "…You just want me to be a little nicer?"

Loosening her grip on his wrist, Kagome nodded. "I know you're a good person InuYasha, try as you may to pretend otherwise."

Eyes widening, InuYasha's face took on an expression that Kagome had difficulty pinpointing. _Surprised… but I'd almost say touched…_

Attempting to find something fascinating by staring at the ground, InuYasha spoke up timidly. "You… really believe that?"

Flashing him a bright smile, she shrugged. "Of course I do. You think I'd let you stay here if I didn't trust you?"

Observing her smile, a sound escaped InuYasha's lips. "Kagome…" he replied simply after several moments.

"Yes?" The schoolgirl answered, somewhat surprised at his usage of her name again.

The silver-haired teenager shook his head. "Nothing."

"All right," Kagome agreed, not pressing it further.

Glancing around to his surroundings- the shrine he never felt he could set foot in, the tree he'd spent an eternity sealed upon, the city that intimidated him more than any youkai, the house that was to be his home, and the girl that had made it all happen; InuYasha felt the smallest of smiles cross his lips. It flickered away in an instant, but a thought remained.

_Kagome… why do you make me want to show you that you're right about me?_

* * *

Kagura understood why Sesshoumaru had so few friends and companions, despite being around for over five-hundred years. It wasn't because he was cold, or intimidating, or shunned all contact with other youkai. 

It was because he could be irrefutably the most _boring _person they'd ever come in contact with.

Nevertheless, after hundreds of years sharing a home with him, Kagura never left. His lack of liveliness was a bit of an inherent irritation, but it rarely got under her skin too much.

The two youkai that were leaving the house at current felt otherwise about the inuyoukai. Having procured a meeting with him regarding a trade, they found themselves wanting to leave not much sooner than they came.

Kagura shook her head as she ushered the pair outside. _At least this way… he gets his business deals finished quicker than most. Come in, get bored, sign it, and leave. _

Once they'd left the premises, the wind youkai made her way to Sesshoumaru's office and let herself in the door. "Yo," she greeted and sat down across from him on a leather couch.

"You didn't knock," Sesshoumaru replied as he glanced up from a piece of mail. Kagura rolled her eyes. "I'm finished for today," he continued, "Tell me about InuYasha."

Toying with the fabric of her skirt in absence of the fan she'd once carried, the crimson-eyed woman shrugged. "He looks nothing like you…"

"I know what he looks like," Sesshoumaru interrupted.

"Yeah, right. Anyway, he was still in sengoku jidai clothing. He was arguing with the girl he's staying with," Kagura reflected. "No offense, but he seemed like a bit of an ass."

"None taken. I have no doubt he is quite the obstinate brat."

"Hmph," Kagura laughed dryly, "The girl is fearless. She approached me as if I were just a normal human. Or maybe she's just stupid… I'm not sure."

"Higurashi Kagome. Correct?" The silver-haired man inferred.

"Yeah, that's the name she gave me." She leaned back further on the couch, crossing her legs.

"She is not unintelligent."

"All right," the youkai woman didn't question further, "Well I will say that if the two of them aren't romantically involved already, they will be soon."

Straightening a pile of papers, Sesshoumaru nodded. "That would be fitting for him."

"Hey," Kagura's eyebrows furrowed and she bit her lip, "Do you hate that guy? InuYasha?"

The inuyoukai gave pause and removed his hands from the paper stack. "In five hundred years a lot changes."

"Oh yeah, tell me about it…"

Standing up, Sesshoumaru slipped open the blinds and glanced outside. "It's hard to hate someone you haven't seen in such a time."

Kagura stood up as well, walking to the window and positioning herself beside him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she gave him a half-smile. "Everything's changed, so your feelings might as well."

Reaching up, he placed his hand upon that of his companion's. "We'll just have to see."

As the two of them watched, outside, the lights of nighttime modern Tokyo had begun to make their appearance.

* * *

The Higurashi dinner table was an experience in and of itself for InuYasha. His first dinner with the family consisted of Oden, which was supposedly Kagome's favorite meal. 

Once sunset had begun to creep upon the shrine, Kagome and InuYasha had come inside for the evening. Dinner awaited both of them, and homework awaited Kagome.

The Hanyou had never eaten dinner with a group, or any meal for that matter. Except for his mother, he'd never dined with anyone. The chopsticks he'd been handed he was plenty capable of using, but years of solitude left him a bit rusty on how to use them _politely. _Thus he ate slowly, very slowly. He figured within time he'd be able to speed up without looking sloppy, but that time wasn't now.

"Oh my InuYasha, are you not hungry?" Mrs. Higurashi inquired mid-meal, confused by his unhurried eating. "You don't have to eat if you're full."

Shaking his head, the boy swallowed a mouthful. "I'm fine… not full yet."

"Very well then…"

Once every few minutes, Jiichan would cast a wary glare in InuYasha's direction. If one of the other family members' caught it, they'd give him one in return. Eventually the elderly man stopped.

"Neh InuYasha," Kagome spoke up, "would you pass me that plate?"

A bit startled by the request, the teenager did so. The Higurashi family wasted no time in incorporating the unfamiliar boy into their nightly ritual. Yet another bizarre action for InuYasha to grow accustomed to.

* * *

Once the meal was over, Kagome invited InuYasha to accompany her to her bedroom. He agreed, still not sure why she was seeking out his company. 

"You were good during dinner tonight," she complimented once they were in her room. She sat at her desk, geometry book cracked open. InuYasha had made a spot on her bed.

"Good?" He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Right," Kagome laughed lightly, "I mean you were really nice and friendly."

"Oi, I didn't even say anything," the Hanyou reasoned.

The teenage girl shrugged and tapped her pencil on the desk. "It's all right. You don't have to be talkative. Just do what you're comfortable with."

InuYasha feigned irritation, "Bah, I'll do what I want."

Kagome just nodded, going back to her schoolwork.

Aside from the shifting of InuYasha on the bed and the scribbling of Kagome's pencil, the room remained silent for several minutes.

"Neh…" The schoolgirl turned around, uneasy from the silence.

"Huh?"

"You don't have to answer this if you don't want but…" Kagome sighed and closed her eyes, nervous about continuing, "Why do you insist in spending so much time in the Goshinboku?"

"Keh! I told you I always sleep outside," InuYasha countered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Shaking her head in the negative, she clarified. "I mean why do you insist on _that_ tree. Why would you want to spend time on something that's full of painful memories?"

The boy looked taken aback, not having considered that. The tree just seemed… natural.

"When you're in those branches… doesn't it cause you to think about what happened?" Kagome inquired of him.

Looking down, InuYasha whispered. "I don't know…"

The young woman smiled encouragingly, "InuYasha, whatever happened in the past is not an issue anymore. It's all gone. Try your hardest to forget about it, not go out of your way to remember it."

Golden eyes narrowed and he growled. "You think I can just _forget _about it?!"

Standing up, Kagome walked over and sat down next to him on the bed. "I think that you have to at least_ try_!" She sent a stern glare in his direction.

"Bah, sleeping in the damn tree isn't going to make it worse!" He retorted lamely.

"You have a fresh start InuYasha… a second chance," she spoke softly, "Most people wouldn't get something like this, don't you think? You're privileged in a way."

"Shit woman, you have no idea what you're talking about!" The Hanyou snarled.

Stomping her foot, Kagome darted up. "Can't you just take it into consideration?"

"Keh!" Came was his only reply. Giving up and going back to her homework, the schoolgirl wondered if his words had even had the mildest of effect on the boy.

However, that night when InuYasha went out to find the perfect branch to sleep in, it wasn't the Goshinboku he leapt up into.

It was another tree, and Kagome was content to note that this one was also _much_ closer to the house.


	9. Out on the Town

Author's Note- Time jump! I know… it's about time. This chapter takes place a whole week later. :o As always- read, review and enjoy!

**The Beginning of Tomorrow**

_Chapter Nine_

_**Out on the Town**_

By Kelly O'Connor

It had been a week since that fateful day, the evening she unsealed the invariably disgruntled yet curiously endearing hanyou boy from sengoku jidai.

Seven full days of narrowly dodging her friends inquiries by opting out of study sessions or worming her way out of the gaggle of girls to head home directly after school.

Kagome never wished more that the friends she had chosen weren't the nosy types. Then again, she supposed even she'd be suspicious if one of her companions was _so obviously-clearly_ hiding something.

For Kagome, it was more the idea of explaining the situation than the actual situation that caused her to keep her friends in the dark regarding the new occupant of her home. In addition, she was not sure InuYasha was to a point where it wouldn't make him extremely uncomfortable or cause his often-unpleasant attitude to surface.

Walking home that afternoon, the hot pavement beneath her feet, Kagome sighed deeply and tapped her chin. "And is it just me or has InuYasha been a bit more temperamental the past few days?" She shook her head, recalling snappish comments he'd made when she left for school that morning. "It isn't as if I don't know _why_…"

The Higurashi family had done everything in their power to incorporate InuYasha into their lives without overwhelming him. He ate meals with them, he was invited into the living room when they watched television or played games, and he was allowed to freely traipse the shrine grounds during after-hours.

But all of that generosity didn't solve this one inevitable problem: "He's completely stir-crazy," Kagome recognized. "InuYasha has been stuck in this one small house and yard for an entire week, and most of that time- inside the house…"

Rubbing her forehead in exasperation, Kagome's averted her gaze to the edge of the sidewalk. _An okonomiyaki booth_, she noted to herself. It was certainly nothing unusual, as it was there every time she walked home this route. However, perhaps due to his inherent love for food, an image of InuYasha's oft-bored face flickered across her mind and she smiled lightly. _I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try taking InuYasha out tonight. I'll have to do it sometime, and the longer I wait… the less fair it is to him. He needs it._

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Despite his tendency to vent his frustrations on Kagome (although she could scarcely deny she didn't do it to him in return at times), InuYasha was rarely, if ever rude to her mother. Standoffish at times at most. As such, Kagome merely blinked as if it were nothing surprising when her mother spoke of how the boy had assisted the older woman with dusting the foyer that afternoon.

"Mama's Boy," Kagome amusedly quipped under her breath to no one in particular.

InuYasha, who was standing across the hallway from Kagome's eyebrows creased, replacing the embarrassed expression he'd held when Mama was praising his exploits. "What'd you say Kagome?" He grumbled.

Taken aback, she struggled for words to cover up her slip. _The last thing I'd want is for him to stop being good with Mama because he knows someone is onto him_. "I said…" She bit her lip, "I was wondering if you wanted to leave the shrine for the first time tonight?"

"My Kagome, what a wonderful idea!" Mrs. Higurashi approved.

InuYasha's eyes widened, undeniably taken unawares by her suggestion.

"I just figured we could go out on the town, show you around and maybe get something to eat…" Her musings flittered to the okonomiyaki booth.

Crossing his arms and feigning indifference, InuYasha replied. "Oi, I guess that would be okay."

"Well!" Mama clasped her hands together, "Why don't you two go before it gets too dark?"

"Actually I thought we could go right now!" Kagome offered. _All three of them are studying at Ayumi's house and won't be done for hours I'm sure…_

"At least sit down and rest for a few minutes dear," Mrs. Higurashi requested. "I'll run up and grab that bandanna from your bedroom."

Heading into the living room and seating herself upon a zabuton, she nodded. "Thanks Mama."

"No problem, Kagome," Mama replied as she walked up the stairs, noting InuYasha waiting expectantly in the foyer. "I'll make sure to hurry up."

"Oh and Mama," she yelled upstairs from her place in the living room.

"Yes dear?"

"If my friends call-- tell them I'm busy for the night," Kagome finished.

Sighing to herself, Mrs. Higurashi retrieved the blue bandanna from her daughter's bedroom. "Yes, of course."

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The afternoon summer sun shone hotly down on the streets of Tokyo and Kagome shielded her eyes reflexively. She wondered for a brief moment if the heat of the pavement was painful on InuYasha's bare feet. However, he hadn't noted anything of the sort and she thought he appeared to be too caught up in the going-ons surrounding them to notice even if it had been.

For his part, InuYasha had barely spoken a word since they began traversing the crowded Tokyo sidewalks. His eyes were wide with wonderment as they took in the vast cityscape. However, every once in a while Kagome would notice an expression of irritation cross his features when someone stepped too close to him. She predicted he would have lost his temper instead of just looking sour had he not been so awestruck.

In an effort not to overload him with knowledge or overwhelm him, Kagome explained the modern marvels he expressed curiosity at in the simplest terms possible. "That's called a car," she pointed to one of the many automobiles driving down the street, "They carry people to where they want to go, but you have to steer it and give it direction. They come in all different sizes, for carrying different amounts of people…"

"Will I ever have to ride in one?" InuYasha inquired, seeming a bit apprehensive about the smoke spouting machines.

Kagome shrugged. "Sometime you will. We'd take the bus though," she gestured towards a large double tiered bus, "which is just a very big car."

"Oi, why don't people just walk?" He asked.

"Neh InuYasha!" Kagome placed her hands upon her hips. "Tokyo is really big and it's a lot quicker to ride in cars. It would take days to walk across Tokyo."

Glancing away as to avoid eye contact with her, the Hanyou sighed in resignation. "I guess that makes sense…"

"Of course it does," she nodded her head assuredly and proceeded to explain the basic concept behind the many stores that flanked the sidewalk.

Several minutes of explanation later, Kagome halted in her tracks as she picked up the familiar scent of okonomiyaki. Tugging on InuYasha's sleeve to garner his attention, she spoke. "Hey, you want to get something to eat?"

Never one to turn down food, the boy nodded.

"Well I figured we'd get something from this booth," she pointed it out to him. "What they have is called okonomiyaki and it's one of my favorite foods."

"Okonomiyaki?" he repeated, word foreign on his tongue.

"Mhmm, I promise you'll like it," Kagome approached the booth. "You just have to tell me what you want on it. Pork, beef, onions, mushrooms, corn or fish. You can pick two."

"Hmph," he tapped his chin, "I guess… beef and corn, whatever that is."

_That's right, he wouldn't know what corn was… _Kagome relayed the order to the employee at the booth and ordered her own. "I think that's a good choice InuYasha," she assured him as she paid for the meal. "I ordered us drinks as well."

"Eh?"

"It's Coca-Cola," she handed him a lidded cup and a straw.

"What's this?" he toyed with the plastic tube, intrigued.

"It's called a straw. You use it to umm… suck the drink out of the cup. It's just a lot neater." Kagome explained, demonstrating the use of it on her own beverage. Following suit, InuYasha poked the straw through the perforation in the lid. "Good now just… suck."

She noticed him take a deep breath. "Suck… _slowly_," she amended.

He did so, and experienced his first taste of the ever-important carbonated beverage. He almost spit the straw out in surprise at the unfamiliar sensation of the bubbles dissolving on his tongue. However, beyond that initial bewilderment, he came to a conclusion. "This tastes good!"

"Order up!" the booth keeper interrupted Kagome and InuYasha's coke-drinking experience. He had decided it was best not to even ask about the strange boy who didn't know what straws or corn was. Turning away from her companion, Kagome snatched the two plates of okonomiyaki and thanked the man.

"I'm glad you like it," Kagome exclaimed. She noticed him eyeing the two plates. "Just wait a minute and we can eat this."

"Eh, why not now?" He stopped sipping his drink momentarily.

"Well I figured we could go to the park to eat it," she gestured to the spacious city park across the street. "I have some things I want to talk to you about…" her voice dropped in pitch, "And I thought you'd be more comfortable there since there's not much modern."

InuYasha followed her gaze to the 'park.' Indeed it appeared to be quite inviting, what with clumps of trees, grass and even the corner of what appeared to be a pond peeked out from behind some of the flora. However, he couldn't deny the awkwardness of the idea of going there to 'talk.' _Keh, but if Kagome wants to talk to me she'll do it anyway, so I may as well…_"Oi fine," he stepped away from the sidewalk.

"Neh InuYasha, you're gonna get run over by a car!" Kagome grabbed his arm and pulled him back from the street. "You have to cross at a stoplight."

"I thought they weren't dangerous," he grumbled, embarrassed by his blunder.

"They're not," she walked towards the nearest light, him following along. "If you follow the rules." Once Kagome reached the crosswalk, she pressed the button in clear view of InuYasha. "Now once that light across the street says so, we can cross."

The Hanyou waited a few moments before noticing that the light had changed. "We can go now?"

Kagome smiled. "Yes, just walk between the two painted lines."

The two teenagers did so, arriving at the park within minutes.

"It's nice isn't it?" the dark-haired girl took a deep breath, taking in the scent of greenery. Noticing a bench, she moved to sit down. However, InuYasha had taken up a place elsewhere. He sat on the grass near the small man-made pond, legs crossed_. Well I guess we can sit there… _she sat down next to him and handed him the okonomiyaki.

"It's okay," he gave a delayed reply and began picking at his meal.

Stretching her legs out, Kagome's gaze averted to the skyline. Sunset had descended upon the city, painting it in shades of smooth red and melted gold. Switching back to the boy who sat next to her, Kagome let a slightly wry smile cross her lips_. If InuYasha were a modern boy, this would be a date. Dinner and a trip to the park, pretty romantic if I do say so. I wonder if InuYasha will ever get to the point where he can do things like that? Take girls on dates… _Kagome attempted to picture him escorting another girl around town and promptly frowned. _I guess he's not that type but... _She peeked towards him again. _Then again he's here with me now. _A light blush made its way across her cheeks. _Maybe I'm just enjoying this more than I should…_

Kagome's musings were interrupted when she felt a cautious tap on her shoulder. "Eh?"

"Oi, Kagome," InuYasha pulled his hand away and took a sip from his straw. "Aren't you going to eat?"

She exhaled and smiled in spite of herself. _I should have known it would be something like that. _Digging into her meal, Kagome prepared to broach the topics of discussion she'd intended to.

"I was wondering… how you like this era so far," Kagome began hesitantly.

Creasing his eyebrows in thought, InuYasha put down his drink. "Keh, what am I supposed to think of it?"

"I'm just curious!" She snapped. _Oh this will never work. Why do I bother trying to talk to him?_

"It's… not that bad," the Hanyou surprised her with a reply, "It's not as if my time was that great either."

Pleased, Kagome gestured him to continue.

"Bah, I just wish I didn't have to stay inside so much," he grumbled.

"I know. That's why I brought you out tonight. Eventually I want you to be able to go out when and where you please…" she explained.

"So we'll leave the shrine more often from now on?" InuYasha anticipated, swallowing a piece of beef.

_He seems like he's in a good mood. I'm glad…_"We definitely will. That's a promise."

"Keh, you better keep it!" he countered.

Narrowing her eyebrows, Kagome frowned. "Neh, InuYasha. I'll never break a promise!" She sipped her drink. "I was wondering… I was talking to Mama about this," she paused until she'd garnered his attention, "How would you feel about eventually meeting… other people our age?"

A sudden wave of discomfiture washing over him, InuYasha blinked, "I'm… not sure."

Feeling empathy for his plight, Kagome gave him a warm smile. "Well the thing is, ever since I've unsealed you I've had to hide you from my friends."

"I thought you weren't going to hide me," InuYasha retorted, crossly.

"Hey! I'm not. I just wasn't sure if you were ready to meet other people," she explained, frustrated with being misunderstood. "And I didn't want you to do it until you felt ready."

"Why should I have to meet them?" He wondered out loud.

Kagome tapped her chin. "Because you live in my house, so you're going to have to sooner or later anyway," she paused, "and because… do you really want me to be the only person your age you know?"

He looked slightly taken aback but recovered quickly. "Bah, it's enough for me."

Kagome's eyes widened, touched by the idea that she alone was apparently 'enough.' However, the fundamental problem still existed so she brushed that aside. "You're just afraid, aren't you?"

"Oi!"

"My friends are good people, I _promise_ InuYasha," she emphasized.

The silver-haired boy glanced up towards the sky. "Will you tell them everything?"

"Do you mean will I tell them that you're a Hanyou?" Kagome affirmed.

InuYasha nodded.

Gazing upwards as well, she sighed. "I will tell them, if you let me."

He stiffened.

"Don't be scared. I won't tell anyone I don't trust," Kagome reasoned. InuYasha made a sound of recognition in the back of his throat. "And I don't think it will hurt. At most you'll just get some unwanted attention from them," she let out a short laugh.

InuYasha went silent, not even off-handed sipping or chewing coming from his direction.

"Hey umm…" Kagome ventured after a minute or so.

Scooting into a laying position and flopping onto his side, InuYasha turned to her. "If… you say so."

"What?" She blinked.

"Hmph, I said if you think I should meet 'em I guess I can." He rolled from his side onto his back, arms crossed behind his head.

Kagome gave him a bright smile and lay down on her back as well. "I'm glad," she closed her eyes in repose, "and InuYasha… I had fun tonight with you."

Cheeks tinged pink; he let out a 'keh.' Then his eyes slid shut as he relaxed alongside her.

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